Shadow Thickening
by Jaquiila Arwen Danyle
Summary: Jyana Tinu Jade is not your typical Jedi. Episode Three speculation. AU Obi-Wan/OC originally posted on Jedi Council Forum.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: first and most important, if i did own the great obi-wan kenobi, do you think i would be writing fan fiction? since the answer is obvious to that question, i hereby declare that since the star wars universe belongs to the great flanneled one and not me, that i am not making any money off of this. if i was making money for my writing, again do you think i would be posting at fanfiction.net??? now that answer isn't as obvious as the first for honestly i don't know. okay now i'm ranting yet again. the eleutherian race, jyana tinu jade, wokki the jedi ewok among other characters you see here that are not in the movies or books of the star wars genre were more than likely created by me and i do claim them as my own. the things you recognize from the star wars genre, of course, would not be mine. also later in the story there will be an appearance of slight star trek crossovers and lord of the rings crossovers. trek also does not belong to me, and as much as i would love to own a ravished legolas and let my roommate borrow him as body pillow, such is not so.  
  
~~~~~~ -^- -^- ~~~~~~  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
  
  
A battle raged, a war being fought in solar systems far away. Away from it all and innocent or ignorant of the happenings in other parts of the galaxy, lived a tree dwelling community on the Sanctuary Moon of Endor. There lived a race of humanoids, called the tree people, or the Eleutherians, among the smaller race called ewoks. The ewoks viewed these people as gods for they were virtually unstoppable and the ewoks had never once heard of one dying, and thought that death for the Eleutherians was impossible. The Force was strong in these people and had little or no desire to be Jedi... and little contact with the Republic.  
  
Until about 35 years ago, the Force declared one woman, a young one just 3 weeks old, to be trained as a Jedi. The Eleutherians agreed that she should train, and sent for the Jedi. Jedi Master Mace Windu came himself and she went with him. Being a special case, he decided it would be best for her to be trained by him alone (well with Yoda as well as course).  
  
She grew up knowing her heritage and skills blessed to her race, but not knowing her family and having complete emotional ties. She knew where she was from but could not go there til she became a full Jedi Knight.  
  
The shroud of the Dark Side was growing steadily. The Eleutherians sensed it and grew afraid. Their first settlement on Yavin 4 had been destroyed by the first Sith and they did not wish to evacuate their home again. So they used their ability, the gift one calls shapeshifting, and transformed themselves to hide from the Sith. There are limitations on all races of shapeshifters, or changlings, but with the Eleutherians these limitations were few. They normally could shapeshift with ease, no effort... but they could only be one gender and they could not stay in a form with a fixed mortality rate for over a year.  
  
But the Dark Side was strong and instilled great fear into the Eleutherians. They shifted themselves into the forms of ewoks, and took on the appearance of a peaceful ewok tribe to hide from the dark growing threat. They had lived great long lives and the ewok form eventually claimed them in a year. They started to dye out as the ewok forms became who they were and the Eleutherian race vanished from existence.  
  
Except for Jyana Tinu Jade. Now a Jedi Knight, the girl, now a woman, could see what happened to her people. After she passed the trials she requested an unknown amount of years in solitary meditation on Endor. She found the status of her people and was distressed. She climbed into the Great Tree, a god to the ewoks and stayed there in mediation, occasionally giving the ewoks a prophecy which she was revealed herself with her strong connection to the Force. She knew thanks to her race she had the capacity to become more powerful than any Jedi, even Yoda, but she knew her place. She preferred hiding than to show her powers true form. But the time of hiding had killed her people, and she could not follow their path. Her humanoid form had always been her form of choice, thus sustaining her for her longer, practically immortal life. She had remained in the Great Tree far long enough.  
  
The Great Tree had been silent for some time and the ewoks were worried. The Jedi Ewok, or speaker for the Great Tree said that she was greatly distressed.  
  
And then a prophecy was made. A great war will destroy the Republic and build an Empire. A small band of people with a "golden god" would come and the ewoks were to help them. They would prove themselves worthy with miraculous signs. And then the Great Tree was silent.  
  
Her hazel, changing gems of eyes looked up. Last of her people, but a Jedi. She could sense the evil happening in the galaxy. She knew what she needed to do. Exiting the tree, Jyana left for Coruscant and the Jedi Temple.  
  
She shifted into a red head, green eyes form, that of a human. When in her normal humanoid form her hair was long and dark brown and her eyes, a brown- green mix normally called hazel (but most eyes that can change colors are classified as hazel). Her normal humanoid form gave her pointed ears, the tell-tale sign she wasn't human. But the ears had shifted to look normal and rounded and she traveled in a human form to protect herself.  
  
She told her Jedi Ewok counterpart to stay behind and if she needed him, she'd send for him if he did not feel it first within the Force.  
  
The galaxy was changing. The future was constantly in motion and Jyana Tinu Jade could no longer remain in seclusion from outside influences... or she feared she would suffer the same fate of her people. She knew what was needed of her and she was willing to do it. She would fight with the Jedi for the Republic as was her duty. She would gladly give up her own personal desires and even her life for the galaxy, no matter how dark the future was becoming. 


	2. One Stranded

Chapter One~ Stranded  
  
  
  
"Blasted bloody old piece of junk!" screamed the woman as she shape-shifted back to her brown-hair, hazel-eyed and pointed ears form. Not far from Endor's Forest Moon, she had landed on a desolate planet due to lost hyperdrive core and not enough fuel.  
  
She then noticed a familiar ship in the hanger nearby. Pondering over this and after giving her ship a good kick, Jyana walked off towards the nearest cantina to look for the pilot of that ship.  
  
Entering a local cantina that was near enough to the hanger as possible like she owned the place, like she did most places, she headed in the direction she sensed would be right. She walked with confidence and sometimes with what appeared to be arrogance, the air that said she was not one to be messed with. Jyana spotted a familiar face in the crowd and found the person she was looking for yet the woman appeared busy with another character she sensed she knew of yet she had never seen in person before. She made her way over to that area without any more thought to the matter.  
  
"I wish to speak to J Solo," Jyana said to the man she recognized as the smuggler's co-pilot from the years before of which she had met her.  
  
The man obviously didn't recognize her. A lovely dilemma she faced sometimes as a shapeshifter was not being able to remember which form she had went under the last time she was with these people. Now after shifting again, her red long hair was tied into twin long braids and twisted together as one and laid down her back. Her eyes were back into their normal color, which actually changed more on their own without much thought from Jyana herself. She had traveled with the smugglers long before and they should remember who she was. She had no doubt that J would see her despite any roadblocks that may have arisen.  
  
"She is in a business conference at this moment. May I ask who wishes to speak with her?" He was a medium sized man with dark brown hair with a streak of silver near the front of his head. He looked like an aged spacer and yet his stance was young and spontaneous. Her memories of this man told her of how often he fell over laughing hysterically. Jyana remembered hearing that he was J's new love interest soon after she got badly hurt from her "first love," Keldin Hiswe, the 2nd human ever to podrace (and was still doing it to this day her sources told her). Jaden Koral, the man in front of me, had just been her friend and co-pilot. She now wondered if their was more to this.  
  
"Tinu Jade." She normally did not go by "Jyana" among common people, for it was her formal and Jedi name, as well as the only trace of her heritage as an Eleutherian.  
  
Jaden's green-grey eyes brightened in recognition and let her in to see J without any more thought to the situation.  
  
She recognized Met Lyka, one of the Hutt's agents, speaking with J Solo. Met was a tall, thin and dark personality. He had dark hair, dark eyes and as always dressed in all black. Something about this "business conference" gave her a weird feeling that she could not understand. Jyana, being good at blending into the shadows. She was not recognized as even existing for some time.  
  
"You are behind again," Met told J.  
  
"I just need more time," the girl, er, woman, sighed looking down. She had to be about 25 now, Jyana thought.  
  
The man in front of her sighed as well. "J don't put me through this. They want their money."  
  
"They will get their money, I just need more time."  
  
"They're getting impatient. I can't keep bailing you out," his hand reached across the table and his thumb caressed the top of her hand.  
  
"I know..."  
  
"The Hutts are not easy to bargain with and do not like to have time that you claim you need."  
  
"They are unforgiving."  
  
"Precisely. They hired you because you were good. You have lost your touch."  
  
J ripped her hand away from Met's grip. "I have lost nothing. It's the bloody Clone Wars."  
  
"The Hutts do not care about the Wars in the Republic."  
  
"But the Clone War is making us lose our customers. The people are afraid."  
  
"Yes they are," Met relented to agree.  
  
"The Hutts should at least understand that."  
  
"Unfortunately, they do not care."  
  
"They should if they want their money."  
  
"Well they don't."  
  
"Not many people do care," J sighed and rested her head on her hands.  
  
Met seemed to wear a hurt expression. "Stop saying that."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You know I care about you."  
  
"So long as you get the money..."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"You know."  
  
Met just sighed. To Jyana it didn't seem like he would deny it and that bothered her a bit. She was sure it bothered J as well.  
  
J's hazel eyes looked up again at Met and then past him as if searching the shadows for something. Jyana then decided to let her presence known.  
  
"Tinu?" she asked recognizing me.  
  
She nodded, adjusting her forest green corset top, attempting to pull it down to meet her belt and brown pants, but it had a tendency to show off her stomach. "Good day to you J, I hope I'm not intruding." Jyana kinda felt as if she was because of how Met had caressed her hand. She had a flash of desiring to have someone herself, but with the Jedi Code how it was, she knew such as possibility is doubtful.  
  
"No, have a seat," J motioned Jyana sit beside her.  
  
"Should I leave?" Met asked. He began to look a tad uncomfortable and like he no longer wanted to be there now that he was no longer alone with J.  
  
"No," Jyana said before J could, "I may need your help as well."  
  
"How may I help you, Tinu?" J asked her like an old friend would.  
  
"First, I need a ride to Alderaan as soon as possible... we may discuss that later though. Next I need to know the status of the Dark Jedi Xekral Prydon, because I may need his aid."  
  
"What are you going to do?" J asked.  
  
"I'm helping the Jedi in the Clone Wars. Master Windu has put me under the charge of Master Kenobi."  
  
"The Dark Jedi is unlikely to help the Jedi."  
  
"We have a common threat. The Sith are behind this war I am certain. The Dark Jedi despise the Sith as well."  
  
J sighed. "I do not know about the Dark Jedi..."  
  
Met nodded, "Nor do I."  
  
Jyana sighed and looked about the room. "So how may I help you?"  
  
"I do not think you can help."  
  
"How much does she owe the Hutts?" Jyana asked looking over at Met.  
  
He stated the large amount of money and the Eleutherian could feel her heart almost fall. Met then preceded to give the run down on how J had come into this debt and when she was supposed to get it to him. While he did this the female smuggler occasionally glared at him between looking down and ashamed.  
  
"I have a proposition," the Jedi offered after much thought, "If you can get me to Alderaan I will get you that money. Since I am serving with Master Kenobi and he is under Senator Bail Organa, the Alderaanian government may be happy to front the cash."  
  
Met looked over at J, whose eyes were wide. "Would you do that?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Met nodded that it would be fine and J grinned big. "Deal," he said for her and then made his way back up to the bar for more drink as J looked at Jyana with eyes that said, "Thank you very much." Finally alone to talk business with J, Jyana looked at her inquisitively.  
  
"I know what you're thinking," the smuggler sighed.  
  
"When did you acquire Jedi traits, girl?"  
  
"It's written on your face."  
  
"Only you can seem to read my face. So what am I thinking?" Jyana challenged her friend and soon to be again colleague.  
  
"Something is up with me and Met. That is what you are thinking."  
  
"Is my feeling correct?"  
  
"Sort of."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"It's complicated."  
  
"I have time."  
  
She only sighed.  
  
"What happened to Keldin?"  
  
"Claimed insanity and that he didn't know if he loved me anymore. Broke up with me over holo." Jyana could sense the bitterness J still carried with every word she spoke about the matter.  
  
"And Jaden?"  
  
"Could never seem to escape from friendship."  
  
"And now Met?"  
  
"Similar to Jaden, but even more complicated."  
  
"I have time."  
  
"Why does life have to be so complicated?"  
  
"Love, life is only as complicated as you make it."  
  
"I know," she sighed again, "You're so lucky Tinu."  
  
"Why?" Jyana wasn't too pleased with the slight change of topic direction.  
  
"You don't have to deal with this kinda crap."  
  
"It's my choice. I choose not to bother myself with it."  
  
"But the Jedi Code..."  
  
"Has absolutely nothing to do with my status of singleness."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm the last surviving member of my species. It is doubtful that they will make me adhere to that stupid rule."  
  
"Attachment to a man is devastating..."  
  
"It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. You cannot deny the nature of our species from that which we were created for... even in the name of the Force can bring two people together."  
  
J sighed again.  
  
"So, what's this with Met?"  
  
"It's complicated."  
  
"I have time."  
  
"It's too complicated."  
  
"You need rant time. Vent. Please. You will find more peace if you let it go."  
  
J sighed again. "It's so bloody confusing!" she exclaimed, "Two weeks we went out and he expressed a great deal of interest in me. I was skeptical at first but I didn't want to hurt him."  
  
"Why skeptical?"  
  
"He's like a helper of the Hutts. Most helpers have no sense of loyalty to friends. They are more concerned about themselves and their fortunes."  
  
"That's not good."  
  
"But he won me to him. He made me fall for him. And then I have to leave the planet I met him on, Ord Mantell, I think, to go to Corellia with business. I grew attached to him way too quickly... and with the distance he loses interest."  
  
"Didn't want a long distance relationship?"  
  
"Yeah... well now he came after me, on business for the Hutts. What they want is more important to him than my feelings... but..."  
  
"He's still somewhat interested?"  
  
"I don't know. I don't have a bloody clue. Could you sense anything?"  
  
"It's not my place..."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"I make it my business not to meddle in others."  
  
"Please?"  
  
It was Jyana's turn to sigh. "Honestly, I cannot sense Met in the Force."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I haven't a clue..." Jyana was more puzzled over this phenomena than J could ever be.  
  
It was time to get back to real business rather than relationship type chatter. "So, when do you need to go to Alderaan," J asked.  
  
"Immediately."  
  
"All right, we should ready our ship then."  
  
"Okie dokie."  
  
The two women then went off and got the crew together. The crew included Jaden and Met and this other character that was called Homis. Before we headed off we added on another smuggler who needed transport to Alderaan for reasons kept her herself. She called herself Jade Fel Horn. With this crew Jyana Tinu Jade now had passage to Alderaan. 


	3. Two The Dark Jedi

Chapter Two~ The Dark Jedi  
  
  
  
Coming into Alderaan space, a dark sleek ship scanned for where its destiny lied and its new destination. He knew he wasn't expected and perhaps even not wanted, but he had to do what he had to do. He was a dark shadow in the living world. Not many people have heard of him and those who have either looked upon him with suspicion or feared him. He was purely an enigma, a mystery that asked for no solution.  
  
As the small black transport ship lowered to the surface, sand like particles were kicked up in a minor fashion, compressed air pressing downward as the landing gear extended downward, the Class-B repulsor lifts gently resting the ship on the surface. The ship touched down on a landing platform that was near Alderia, the capital city of Alderaan.  
  
From the back of the ship, the gangway lowered under hydraulic pressure, and as soon as it had firmly made contact with the ground, a single figure slowly descended. His leather sandals, strapped snug to his feet, allowed air to pass while protecting them from the heated metal on the platform. The straps on the sandals wrapped a quarter of the way up his lower leg, only to keep them securely fastened. With his black cloak, made of a semi- rough but breathable fabric, which reached down almost completely to the ground, seeing his feet was a very rare occasion; with his rarity of appearance anywhere, it was even more so. The sleeves of his cloak covered his arms down to the wrists, and with his arms crossed in front of him, both hands through the opposite sleeve, you couldn't see the scar across the top of his right hand nor the golden ring that adorned his left ring finger ~ a subtle sign of a long-disavowed past.  
  
The hood of his cloak came up and over his head, and with the slightly bowed fashion he generally held his head at, seeing his face was also a rarity. He had a semi-dark, reddish-blonde mustache that wasn't very thick at all, but certainly not thin, and came down to the corner's of his mouth. Probably one of his more adorning features, at least as was told to him long before the Dark Side has befriended him, was his deep blue eyes. Those eyes would, on occasions of extreme anger or hostility, turn to a very dark red with a lightness to them, almost as if a fire were burning in his eyes. His hair, which is also rarely seen, except when he removes his hood, is short, blonde, and combed straight back but as if teased slightly to give it a short, jumpy, and semi-wet look.  
  
On his belt, which is also black, are located a few of his necessary objects. First and foremost is his lightsabre, a double-bladed handle that emits two red blades with a hint of gold in them. The handle itself is made of a silvery durasteel with grayish lines over it, making a sort of a decoration that only is meaningful to the Dark Jedi himself. Also on the belt is a small black colored datapad-like device, useful for getting necessary information on nearly anything he could want. A few small tubular pouches are also attached to his belt, with things such as compressed air tubes, extra-small charges, or other similar devices used for multiple purposes. On the left side of the belt is a small pouch that holds small documents, identification, and other important datapad chips.  
  
He scanned the white city looking around the bright surroundings and adjusting his eyes to the light glittering off the rounded high buildings. He then noticed a man approaching him with the dignified poise of a Jedi Master. The dark one straightened up as he was greeted with controlled dignity from the other robed character.  
  
"Dark Jedi Knight Xekral Prydon, I presume?" the accented man in the brown robe asked.  
  
Likewise accented, the man in black affirmed, "And you are Jedi Master..."  
  
"Obi-Wan Kenobi."  
  
"Pleasure," he said with a bite. The Dark Jedi and the Jedi have not usually gotten along, and Xekral was the only known Dark Jedi in existence at the time. They were not usually welcomed with open arms but with suspicion. This suspicion was of course due to the Dark Side in the Dark Jedi, but the Jedi had not really encountered this use of the Force or this group before. These Dark Side wielders had always stayed lurking in the shadows and secluded and out of reach.  
  
Until now.  
  
Obi-Wan shifted his cloak upon him and folded his now sweaty palms in front of him as he led Xekral on their way towards the meeting room in Bail Organa's palace near the center of Alderia. It was there that they would be getting their orders on how they would assist the Republic in this time of war. Obi-Wan glanced behind him and tried to ease his breath and slow the beating of his heart. He found it curious that the Dark Jedi would decide to come out of hiding and side with the light after years of just hostile silence.  
  
"To answer your mind's questions, the Dark Jedi hate the Sith more than they could ever hate the Jedi."  
  
"So you will assist us?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Obi-Wan furrowed his eyebrows and sighed. He then shook his head and walked on without question.  
  
For this, Xekral was grateful. He had been through a lot. He had been trained as a Jedi long ago, but then he fell in love and decided to leave the Jedi Order so that he could marry. That eventually turned into hell on earth. His wife, Jolande, had been left back on Corellia when Xekral was needed for something else off planet. It was then that loyalty had been tested and thus betrayed when this man named Osiris came into the picture. He used this chance to jump in on Jolande and offer her the universe that Xekral could not afford. She took the bait claiming that she needed someone that was there. She then cheated on her husband. Enraged upon the hearing of this, Xekral lost all control and reserve. Upon meeting Osiris, the now Dark Jedi had took no thought about it and killed him on the spot. He had not seen Jolande since, but maybe that was for the best.  
  
No one knew of what had caused Xekral to go Dark, but the important part was that he was. There was still a sense of good within him for the Dark Jedi are not as extreme as the Sith, so that was probably what brought him back to assist the Jedi on the side of Light.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~written by Xekral himself~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The anger in his heart and his mind couldn't possibly be match by any facial expressions known to man... or to even a Wookie. He'd ran over the conversation hundreds of times in the past twenty-four hours, but even so, it didn't make sense. Sure, he wasn't there, but was that an excuse?  
  
No manner of training from the Jedi Council could possibly calm him now. His cheeks were a very dark red, matching the newly-changed colour of his lightsabre blade. Now was not the time for niceness, or diplomacy... he'd done enough of that many times before with all the missions he'd been on. And with this last one having been a reconnaissance mission, him not knowing what would happen, the results of life back home really had hit him exceptionally hard.  
  
I really hate to be the one to tell you this, but she did cheat on you. I didn't even know he was going to be there.  
  
Who? Who was there?  
  
His name is Osiris. Very little is known about him, but I do know that he works in the same sector that she does, and apparently he came over one day when she was feeling sad.  
  
Sithspawn....  
  
So he set out after Osiris, having seen him once before, when he'd gone to visit his wife where she worked, and Osiris had been at her desk, showing her some printouts on a datapad, apparently of some water samples. He had had the feeling that this guy was slightly out of place, like he didn't belong there, but he hadn't been able to put his finger on it. And this was over a month before this affair had occurred. But first, he had to go home. He knew his wife was there, and she'd act completely innocent, as if she didn't know anything. And as his transport skimmer reached his house, he knew exactly what he was going to tell her, exactly how he was going to put it. And then he received the ultimate shock.  
  
There he stood. Dressed in what appeared to be a mock-down of an Imperial officer's uniform, Osiris stood near the front of the house, apparently leaving the house. The six-foot tall man wasn't very bright, obviously. He had to know that he would be found out sooner or later. And when Jolande saw Xekral step out of the skimmer, she quickly ran inside and closed the door.  
  
"OSIRIS!!" the Jedi bellowed.  
  
"What the....", Osiris didn't even finish the sentence, but looked dumbfounded.  
  
The Jedi took a few steps forward and threw his cloak to the ground. Whatever control he had left was clearly gone. This man had treaded too deeply on the ice, and it was going to break under him. "Why you sniveling, imperialistic, gungan-face, nerf-herding sliver of Rodian crap...," Xekral started, "how dare you show your face anywhere near this place. I know exactly what you've been doing, and believe you me, the death you will receive is far from the punishment you truly deserve." He took his lightsabre off of his belt, twirled it for a second, and then depressed the button on the side, causing the 1.5 meter long darkish-red blade to extend from the handle, making slicing sound which was quickly replace by a low humm. Osiris backed up a few steps.  
  
"I don't want any trouble, especially not from a Jedi. I had no idea..."  
  
"..that what, you'd be caught?" Xekral cut him off, then shook his head. "You really are dumber than I thought." He extended his hand out toward the man, using the Force to propel him backwards and into the ferrocrete wall behind him.  
  
The response, though, shocked him rather completely. The man stuck his own hand out, negating the "push", and reached behind with the other hand, revealing moments later a lightsabre with a slightly different handle, from which extended a blade of the same colour and length as his own.  
  
"What in the name of..."  
  
"...Sith? You'd be right, you slime bucket. Your woman, Jolande, as far as I'm concerned she was just another conquest of mine. She cheated on you because you weren't here, because she was lonely and she needed some action from a real man, not one in some sissy robes following some ancient order that should have been dead long ago. One of these days, you will all be purged, all be wiped out of existence, and I will be sitting back in a seat of power laughing at what used to be."  
  
The inhumane scream that emitted from the Jedi's mouth probably would have scared himself quite badly had he even had the mental notion to realize it. Xekral lurched forward, bringing his blade down at Osiris in a power-drive that would have snapped anything in its path. The Sith rolled out of the way, bringing his blade around and driving it straight at the Jedi. It was parried, and then the fight truly started.  
  
Each well-crafted maneuver, slice, jab, and use of the Force by each of them was countered almost perfectly by the other. The match couldn't have been better, nor more harrowing for the woman named Jolande who watched the fight from behind a transparasteel window. Xekral flipped forward now, bringing his blade towards the shoulder of Osiris, which was blocked, but only for a moment, as the latter of the two lost his footing from a well- timed "push" from Xekral. The Sith hit the ground, rolled, and rose into the air still spinning horizontally, landing on his feet and deflecting three quick and sudden slashes.  
  
The tide was beginning to turn for Osiris, who had decided to employ Force lightning earlier and now did so again, jabbing his lightsabre down and against the leg of the Jedi, only prevented from continuing by the sudden extension of a second blade from Xekral's lightsabre which knocked the blade away. The blade disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Xekral rolled backwards, the searing pain burning across his leg. He felt, and looked, flustered.  
  
But suddenly a wave rolled over him that he hadn't ever felt before, something that was far from the Light Force that he'd felt in the past. His eyes suddenly glowed a bright red colour - he could feel it - and the look on Osiris's face suddenly went from an evil grin to total shock... where it would stay. The Jedi invoked the full power of the Force, dashing forward with near lightning speed, both blades on his 'sabre now extended, and sliced. Again. And again. The Sith only had time to block two power swings before one of the blades penetrated his arc of protection, slicing into and through his lower left leg, completely dismembering it from the rest of his body. The second blade had retracted again into Xekral's handle, the first blade now doing the trust damage. Up the leg it spun, slicing off inch after inch it seemed, but in reality only slicing three times, the second just below the knee and the third half-way up the thigh. The next slice was an upward one that removed the Sith's right arm, the lightsabre falling in the grasp of the man's arm, clamoring onto the ferrocrete ground accompanied with the thud of the flesh. The scream that emitted from Osiris's lips were ear-piercing, but Xekral could barely hear them.  
  
After a few seconds, the screaming stopped, with Osiris now on his back, and trying to push himself up with the remaining arm, as the blade to the Jedi's lightsabre retracted into the handle.  
  
"My guess is that is the position you were in when you did whatever it was with my wife. And in this position you will die." The Jedi spit at the man, the wad landing on his cheek and dripping off slowly. "I hope you remember me in hell, because that is your destination on this final hop into hyperspace. Best wishes."  
  
The look of utter shock returned to the Sith's face, the man known as Osiris, as the blade to Xekral's lightsabre ignited once again. The piercing scream returned to the Sith's lips, emitted for a split second, interrupted forever by the quick and deadly slash of the red blade, which penetrated the side of the neck, cauterized the left carotid artery, slicing through the throat and then through the right carotid artery, and finally exiting on the other side. The entire wound was cauterized as the blade left it, the pure energy and heat of the red blade doing its job at the same time. For a second and a half, the body remained upright and rigid, the head not moving, but then it slowly slipped backwards, falling off the back of the neck and thudding against the ground, followed by the rest of the body.  
  
Jolande rushed out of the house as the blade retracted for the final time into the handle of the Jedi's lightsabre. Xekral turned and looked at her, the red glow still in his eyes. She stopped in her tracks.  
  
"Jolande," he started, "ever since I met you, you were the best thing that ever happened to me. But the moment your lips touched his, I died. Now, to you, I am dead... as dead, if not more, than your slain lover." He let the last word come out harshly and poison-tipped, and the look on her face registered it as having been received as such. "What you choose to do with your life is clearly your choice, but know this - not all are as forgiving as I am." With that, he walked the three steps over to her, kissed her lightly on the cheek, and stepped back. The fire in his eyes had faded, but the feeling from before was still there.  
  
With that, Xekral turned and walked away, disappearing into the dusk that was slowly enveloping the entire city as it did every night.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~end Xekral's flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They entered the stately room and were greeted by two men of high importance. Xekral took five more paces from whence they first entered the room and then stopped. He looked at the figure of the Jedi Master in front of him, didn't pay much attention to the Senator beside, but didn't speak yet.  
  
"It is good of you to come as promised, Xekral Prydon," the man said.  
  
"I keep my promises," the Dark Jedi replied plainly.  
  
"Of course, I didn't mean to imply anything else." The man could hear the words sure... whatever echoing through his head in the Jedi's voice-tones. "Now shall we get on with business?"  
  
The Dark Jedi looked at him from underneath the hood, the plain look unchanging. "What else would there be to do?" he replied, simply, letting the tone dictate his thoughts that the comment was so unnecessary as to be trite.  
  
Jedi Master Mace Windu wasted no breath in getting right to the point. "Why have you come to help us?"  
  
Xekral understood why the Jedi didn't seem to be able to find him trustworthy. He had to earn their trust. "Osiris, as you know, was an agent of the Sith. So therefore I hate the Sith and everything they stand for."  
  
"Hate is..."  
  
"I am a Dark Jedi, Master Windu, no question about it. I am who I am and it would be wise to just accept it, and seek not to alter me."  
  
Mace bowed respectfully despite his caution. "I am sorry. We are not accustomed to an alliance with one of the Dark Side, but Master Yoda seems to have hope."  
  
"It will work to your advantage to trust me. I am not clouded to the Sith as you are."  
  
Obi-Wan looked up at Mace and they shared a look. "What other information can you provide us with?" the elder Jedi asked.  
  
"The Sith are rallying the Hutts to their cause and thus making the Hutts less forgiving than they already were. They are on the side of the Separatists. They have also hired a podracer from Ando Prime as their replacement for Osiris." Every time the Dark Jedi spoke of the name Osiris he spoke it with intense hatred flowing through him.  
  
The younger Jedi's ears perked up. "And who is this?"  
  
"His name is Keldin Hiswe."  
  
Obi-Wan rose an eyebrow and looked over at Mace who had cocked his head. "How did he get pulled into a side? He never seemed to care for things like this," Mace asked curiously.  
  
"He was seduced. For the longest time he's been pissed with or about, whichever one it is I'm not certain, the Jedi called Anakin Skywalker. I believe he is your padawan, Obi-Wan?" After an affirmative nod, the Dark Jedi continued, "He wants nothing more than to have him killed." Silence filled the room as Xekral took the time for a strategic pause. After about two minutes, he continued, "Supposedly Lord Tyranus has claimed he will get his wish."  
  
The two Jedi Masters shared a look that the Dark Jedi could not comprehend. No questions there were asked.  
  
Senator Bail Organa then stepped up and brought things to the more present issue. "Dark Jedi Xekral is here to aid in the Clone Wars and he needs something to do that would best benefit everyone," he stated, "Any suggestions?"  
  
There was silence for a while and then Xekral himself spoke up. "I can be a spy or an assassin, whichever is needed. That way I would stay out of the Jedi's hair."  
  
"Subtle, hidden," Mace commented, "The way you've been before. I have no objections to this. Senator Organa?"  
  
"Fine with me."  
  
It was a decision that benefited everyone present. But the other member of the meeting had yet to arrive... 


	4. Smelly Interlude

Interlude  
  
  
  
The smell was subtle and yet I could not name it. I never could classify what the particular smell was like. It was indescribable. Women know what I'm talking about but men cannot comprehend. Men had a thing about the smell of a woman, something we couldn't comprehend. But our sense of smell it is said is more complex than that of men's, and thus we are very sensitive to smells. Women and cats are much alike in our keen senses and even sometimes our mannerisms. I still could not pinpoint the scent of him, could not understand why it made me feel safe nor why it drew me to him. It was inconceivable to my mind or anyone else's for that matter. I could not name the smell with anything other than his name, which shall go unnamed. I did not know if he had a thing for my smell but that is no longer an issue for he is now gone and probably will never come back.  
  
~J Solo 


	5. Three Many Meetings

Chapter Three~ Many Meetings  
  
  
  
Big brown eyes stared straight forward as if sensing adversity from the Jedi onboard. Jyana knew she was being stared at. "Why aren't you on Coruscant already?" the man with those deep dark eyes asked.  
  
Her hazel eyes flicked a greenish color as she looked up at the man in front of her and rose her eyebrow. Deciding that truth was the way to go, she said, "I've spent at least a decade on the Forest Moon of Endor in meditation."  
  
Met Lyka's darkness about him was very much carried in his eyes as well as the rest of his appearance. "Curious," he stated to himself.  
  
"Doesn't make much sense does it?"  
  
He just shook his head.  
  
"Not all Jedi must shift to the norm."  
  
"Ah so you're a changling?"  
  
Jyana's brows furrowed. "No, I am an Eleutherian."  
  
"A what?"  
  
"Eleutherian, forest people," she shifted into her classic form of dark brown hair and her pointed ears were well evident.  
  
"Look like a changling to me."  
  
"I am a mammal, a humanoid species who looks like it. Changlings are reptile in appearance."  
  
Met wasn't convinced. J Solo came back to the back. She noticed Jyana's form she had changed into, and made a comment, "I always wanted pointed ears."  
  
"Me too," Jyana joked with a laugh.  
  
The smuggler shook her head. "We're almost out of hyperspace, get ready."  
  
Jade Fel Horn kept to herself, tossing about a thermal detonator, one of the many in her collection. She was a Rogue Jedi, one who didn't follow the norm but was not of the Dark Side. She hadn't shared her reason for leaving the order, but it was her own.  
  
As they approached the blue-green ball called Alderaan, Jyana's heart seemed to stop. She felt something, someone's presence. She could feel the Dark Jedi was there, as well as her Master, Mace Windu, but there was another presence she sensed that frazzled her mind. She had never felt this presence before, nor had she had this reaction to anyone's presence before. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind then of all thoughts.  
  
It wasn't unnoticed. Since Jyana was up front with the pilots, her silence was well noted. J thought about questioning her, but saved it until they docked.  
  
"You alright?" she asked as Jyana adjusted her outfit from underneath a black Jedi robe as they were exiting the ship and heading toward town.  
  
"Just an odd feeling."  
  
J looked at her puzzled and Jade came up as well. "You sense something?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Odd. I don't sense anything."  
  
J offered, "Your extra insight to the Force or something?"  
  
Jyana was not comforted, and still felt not quite at ease.  
  
The guys didn't seem to notice that of which the girls did. It was Met though that had somewhat even paid half attention. As they walked into the city of Aldera, they looked around with question marked on their eyes and were looked upon in like manner. Jyana was half expecting to be met out by the ship, but was used to escorting herself to where she needed to go so she wasn't too badly disappointed.  
  
Suddenly from out of nowhere, Jyana jumped and caught something flying mid- air. She looked down at what she caught. It was a data pad dressed as a droid, fitted with a private message for her from the Dark Jedi himself.  
  
"What the?" Jaden exclaimed as she had grabbed the thing without warning.  
  
"What is it?" J asked.  
  
"Message for me," she replied after putting the message in a pouch on her belt.  
  
"How did you?" Jaden was shocked.  
  
"I just did... no other explanation needed."  
  
Met shook his head. "Changling," he muttered under his breath.  
  
Jyana darted from whence she stood and grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against he wall. "I am not a bloody changling!"  
  
Met's reaction displeased her for he had no expression on his face.  
  
Jade Fel Horn looked up from her subconscious tinkering with her favorite weapon, and said, "Jyana, he ain't worth it. Put him down..."  
  
Jyana glared at him and put him back down. It wasn't far down because Met was taller than she was, which made the whole event seem a bit hilarious... well at least Jaden was snickering to himself.  
  
Met wore a smirk and snickered to himself, quite pleased with all he had done. He did not care whom he annoyed. He had much to learn...  
  
"Met is very good at pissing one off," Jyana stated aloud to J while glaring at the smirking dark character.  
  
"Tell me something I don't know."  
  
"Keldin is getting married."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
At the mention of that statement, Jaden fell over laughing hysterically.  
  
They approached the building and Jyana bid farewell to J Solo, Jaden and Met. Jade came with her into the building. Jade found herself alone though within a second. She the heard a shriek and whirled around to see what she thought was Homis on the floor. Looking up, Jade noticed Jyana putting a remote like device back into a pouch on her utility belt. Jade's mouth was open and her eyes were wide. Jyana looked though as calm as can be.  
  
"You killed him?"  
  
"It was a mild shock, he will recover."  
  
Jade looked at her blankly.  
  
"He wasn't responding to diplomacy."  
  
After blinking a bit, Jade just shook her head attempting not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.  
  
The two robed women entered the meeting room and bowed to Jedi Master Mace Windu.  
  
"Good to see you again Jyana," the Master greeted her, by taking her slender hand in both of his.  
  
"Great to see you again as well," Jyana bubbled over and took her Master into a warm embrace.  
  
Backing up, Mace acknowledged Jade with the nod of his bald head. He then looked back at Jyana. "I assume you have already met Xekral."  
  
She smiled looking at the Dark Jedi. Xekral removed his hood from his head and allowed his face to be seen. He reached toward Jyana and took her hand and kissed it. "Pleasure to see you again my dear," he said with a wink.  
  
"Ever the flirty gentleman," she laughed, "One would question your darkness."  
  
Mace interrupted them by stating, "There is someone else I would like you to meet."  
  
After noticing Xekral putting his hood back on, Jyana looked over at the light brown-ish red haired robed man. First thing she noticed was his penetrating blue-green eyes. She blinked and looked back at her Master.  
  
The man introduced himself, "I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi."  
  
"General Kenobi? Oh! Good to meet you," she said with a large smile.  
  
"Jyana I presume?"  
  
"Oh yes! Sorry, off in a trance for a second there."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Vision... of future... I get those sometimes."  
  
Mace smiled and said, "Jyana has been off meditating for a long while, so part of her is still in that state."  
  
Jyana nodded. She trusted her Master with such assessments.  
  
"Now if you'll excuse me, I wish to speak with Jade and Xekral alone." He then proceeded to lead the two out of the room.  
  
Obi-Wan looked over at Jyana who was just standing there with a slight frown. She then looked up and noticed him and smiled brightly.  
  
"Good to see the Dark Jedi here on our side isn't it?" she offered.  
  
"Nice I guess. Just..."  
  
"A little uncomfortable?"  
  
"Yeah." He rose his eyebrow and smirked. "Do you make it a habit of completing other people's sentences?"  
  
Jyana flushed. "Bad habit. Sorry."  
  
He laughed. "It's alright."  
  
"You fear the Dark Jedi, don't you?" Jyana inquired of the Jedi Master.  
  
"Maybe a little. But more I fear the Dark Side and its power."  
  
"The power of murdering out of anger and hatred."  
  
"I have sensed it in my padawan, I think, and yet I'm uncertain."  
  
"You don't like uncertainties."  
  
"No indeed I do not. I am uncertain why Xekral is a Dark Jedi."  
  
"His wife cheated on him, and he killed the other guy in anger and hatred."  
  
"Then what is the difference?"  
  
"Between what?"  
  
"Between a Dark Jedi and a Sith."  
  
"Sith... there can be only two at a time, no more, no less. If there are more than two, the wanna-be-Siths are killed off in some manner. Xekral killed off the last wanna-be, and I know t here is another out there."  
  
"And Dark Jedi?"  
  
"Only few know of them or have seen them. They prefer the shadows. They are many, but Xekral was the first. There is no Order to the Dark Jedi, at least not yet."  
  
"There's more to this, I can feel it. So what's the real difference?"  
  
"In revenge Xekral killed only the man who had slept with his wife. If he was to be a Sith, he would've killed Jolande as well."  
  
"Jolande would be his wife..."  
  
"In his heart he is still married. Killing the man did little good."  
  
"Where is she now?"  
  
"That I do not know. Xekral, in his rage could not see all the truth."  
  
"Truth?"  
  
"Sith cannot win women through normal wooing, but through a mind trick. The spell was broken upon his death."  
  
"Sad..."  
  
"Jolande is now stone. She contacted me by holo at one point recently. It was only a message to me and I could not respond. What she said will be forever etched in my mind."  
  
~I do not vow to a life of chastity forever for I know that things my change in my life. But, I vow never to be so weakened by a man ever again. All men's advances will be, to me, mere words. My own flamboyant emotions are not to be trusted; they have lost that faith and can never regain it. My heart, though it was not what he wanted, is henceforth locked up and the key thrown away. It shall not be taken nor given. As to the idea of love: I will be skeptical; I will be critical; I will be cold.~  
  
And with that Jyana was silent for a time looking off distantly.  
  
"Poor girl," Obi-Wan stated.  
  
"Us Jedi know not love," Jyana sighed looking far away, "We can never comprehend the pain that goes with a broken heart."  
  
Obi-Wan was silent for a while looking at Jyana.  
  
Mace Windu re-entered and asked to speak with Obi-Wan alone. The Dark Jedi followed in. Jade was nowhere in sight, but possibly off on her own again. Jyana knew the Rogue Jedi was perfectly capable of handling her own self.  
  
So now Jyana found herself alone with the Dark Jedi.  
  
It does not do to dwell on dreams, Jyana, and forget to live.  
  
The words of her Master many years ago flooded her memory as she turned to face the dark hooded gentleman. She still questioned his darkness. She knew there was good and there was evil, but wasn't there a grey area? Xekral, in her mind, as well as the other Dark Jedi, were grey areas, an incomprehensible part of the Force. Xek has always been a friend, from the very beginning. Hate did not consume him, nor could it ever.  
  
They traveled in silence towards the hanger where Xek's ship was and a ship for Jade resided as well.  
  
Jyana noticed J Solo and her crew were fixing up her ship again. Met looked like he was yet again being a pest. Jyana could fell the frustration bubbling over poor J. But suddenly J's voice was heard.  
  
"GET THE..." Jaden suddenly was thrown off the ship in a large explosion, screaming, "AWAY FROM ME!!!"  
  
Xekral snickered at seeing this. Jyana looked over at the shaded face. "Jaden is such a character ain't he?" she pondered aloud knowing that it was Met that was yelled at rather than Jaden, it was just Jaden that yet again caused a strategically placed explosion.  
  
"Indeed."  
  
She rose an eyebrow. "So..."  
  
"So what?"  
  
She said nothing and waited for him to speak on something.  
  
"He could've been a Jedi you know?"  
  
"Yeah. I heard about that somewhere."  
  
"Met him long before Jolande."  
  
That name again. Jyana knew she didn't need to mention it first.  
  
At the mention of the girl's name, even though he had said it himself, there was a slight growl on Xekral's part, but he suddenly was quiet again.  
  
"So how's seclusion been?"  
  
"Relatively quiet, peaceful, uneventful... and quite boring if you ask me. You?"  
  
"Wasn't peaceful, but was enlightening."  
  
"Why not peaceful?"  
  
"I sense too much... disturbance..."  
  
"Ah yes... You do not..."  
  
"I know much more than you would think Xek."  
  
"About the Dark Side?"  
  
"I am fully aware of its power, but I will not embrace it. Ever."  
  
"I wasn't telling you to."  
  
"Good."  
  
"If it wasn't for Osiris..."  
  
Jade Fel Horn had walked by and at that name went on a rant, yet again. "Osiris is an idiot. There are no words to describe him... but idiot."  
  
Xekral just snickered. He then noticed that Jade was in a tight-fitting flight suit and then smirked. He then let out a loud whistle.  
  
The blue-green of her eyes flickered and she stalked back towards him. Jade smacked Xek upside the head.  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
Calmly she replied, "Cause you're an idiot."  
  
"I'm not an idiot!"  
  
"Yes you are."  
  
"No I'm not." If he wasn't wearing his hood Jyana was certain that he would be pouting or something.  
  
"Okay then you're a fool."  
  
"Fine," he resigned, "You can call me whatever you want, even yours if you like, but just don't call me late for dinner."  
  
Jade then thwapped him as Jyana smacked her own self in the forehead. "Idiot," the Eleutherian muttered so softly that no one could hear.  
  
After Jade had left again to tinker a bit with her ship, Xekral was left to contemplation. Jyana could sense whom he was thinking about... again. Every time she saw him something in their conversation ended up about her... or something about her... or something about the whole bloody incident. Jyana was getting bloody tired of it.  
  
Her mind was too strong as if she heard his thoughts like he was speaking them. She was at her wit's end on the matter. No longer did she care about hurting feelings. The truth was what mattered. She could no longer lie to him by omission of how she felt about the whole thing. "Get over her already... it's been 5 freekin years!"  
  
After a slight growl, the Dark Jedi responded, "Fine, find a way to get her out of my mind completely"  
  
"Are you sure you want that? I mean really... think about that... then say that."  
  
"A man, when totally devastated, cannot move on from that event until something totally changes him. Mind tricks do not work on me, so don't try. I'm talking about something concrete, something real, that would change me enough to remove her from my mind"  
  
I don't think he has a bloody clue what I'm even saying, or if he's even listening... oh well I'll keep trying to get across to him, she thought before she stated, "War can change one person, you have not yet experienced war, nor have you experienced the power of an Eleutherian."  
  
Xekral shook his head and snickered, "As to the power of an Eleutherian, I wouldn't happen to know. And it isn't physical experience that I need. If that was all I needed, i could have gone to the lower levels of Coruscant and had my physical needs met - but I don't... And I dare say a mental transformation is necessary. We all carry with us experiences and memories that shape us, and without those memories and experiences, we cannot hope to prevent such atrocities from occurring in the future - to ourselves, or others."  
  
Ugh... I can't even BELIEVE he thought THAT was what I meant... okay Jyana calm your mind and get this out. "You misinterpret what I mean by an Eleutherian's power. No one knows that power... The power combined by long life, many experiences, many memories, and many dark side pains. No Eleutherian has ever reached their full power. At their full power they can see both dark and light side, can have a cure for everything and can only be killed by their own heart, if it be broken."  
  
"If you have a way to cure the pain in my heart, then I suggest you use it... on someone more worthy and, how you say, saveable. Myself... maybe I am saveable, but would never want to be mentally altered to fix a pain. There are some burdens we live with throughout our lives, which shape us in different ways. Some are good, others are bad."  
  
"It is my own choice to whom is worthy, not yours. And I do not have that power... yet."  
  
He raised his arms slightly forward and his palms up in resignation. "Yet.. or ever... there is only one thing that could redeem me from the horror that filled my heart and soul long ago. What happened to her long ago, I don't know, nor should I care. That is all I shall say on this matter." He then lowered his hands to his side, turned to the right away from Jyana and looked up at the sky as if searching for hope elsewhere.  
  
Jyana glared off to the side. Stubborn as Hell like always. He'll never listen. He bloody WANTS the bloody pain. Idiot. "When you learn to listen to something other than your own head, I will explain to you that which you will not hear." And with that she left Xekral to his own thoughts.  
  
She could've said so much. Xekral had died that day he killed Osiris. He had died to the light. Oh how Jyana wished he could be resurrected. Jolande would always cover Xekral's thoughts. He will never be satisfied until he got all the revenge he wanted. It was never enough. He will never be satisfied until the pain was gone. And he didn't care what anyone else thought. He didn't care whom else he could hurt in his quest. There was no peace, no matter what he said. He was NOT over it. He may say he didn't care anymore but he was just lying to himself and lying to everyone. The was no peace within no matter how hard he tried to wear that mask. He's too wrapped up in himself, in his own pain to see anyone else's point of view. He couldn't see, or probably wouldn't see, that because he killed Osiris, the pain will never leave him, until death... or until his resurrection from the Dark Side. 


	6. Four Wetting the Fire

Chapter Four~ Wetting the Fire  
  
  
  
Two ships were docked together, now ready for their pilots that were going off to work on a stealth mission. A Rogue Jedi and a Dark Jedi, sent now by Master Mace Windu of the Jedi Council to go out and find top secret information for the Republic.  
  
"Now remember Xekral," Jyana said with a smirk, "No killing unless absolutely necessary."  
  
"Yes Master," he snickered and shook his head.  
  
Jyana shook her head, noticing his sarcasm. She had never acquired the title Jedi Master, nor did she desire to be one.  
  
Obi-Wan was standing by Jyana as she bid both Xek and Jade off on their mission.  
  
Jade now seated in her ship, which was of a form Jyana had never seen before. It's wings were two on each side and shaped like an X. They called it an X-wing. It was a new breed of ship that Jade had worked on the designs for many years back with a friend named Antilles. This friend of hers had now started manufacturing more of them for use later in the Clone Wars if needed. Jade's ship is designated as the very first X-wing, and she was proud of her "baby".  
  
She looked down at Jyana standing next to Obi-Wan. Something sparked her memory, and she took to pondering. She remembered Jyana sensing something upon entering the Alderaan system. She suddenly wondered, "Hey Jyana!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Wait... Nevermind."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't wanna know."  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"I don't wanna know."  
  
"Okay," Jyana was puzzled.  
  
And as the two Jedi not of the Order readied to fly off, Jyana bid them, "May the Force be with y'all."  
  
"And with you," Jade said.  
  
Xekral snickered, "Feel my Force..."  
  
Jyana smacked her forehead as Jade gave him the stare of death. "How bout I feel the force of you exploding when I shove this thermal detonator up your..." there was a large crash as Jaden Koral fell out of J Solo's ship, still being tinkered with in the next hanger.  
  
"Ouch," Obi-Wan said to himself as Jyana thought, That's gonna be a long trip. There was no more speaking heard between Jade and Xek as they flew off. The strategically placed crash due to Jaden's constant tinkering with something had covered the ending of their bickering.  
  
"Well, now what?" Jyana asked looking at Obi-Wan.  
  
"I believe we're suppose to meet with Master Windu and Senator Organa to discuss our next war campaign."  
  
"Okie dokie."  
  
Obi-Wan and Jyana headed back towards the palace. Jyana pulled out the message she had received in the first moments here on Alderaan. It was a data pad that contained a written message rather than a holo message. She read it as she walked along.  
  
Jyana,  
  
~I sense you got a ride with J Solo. Well her ex Keldin has fallen completely to the Dark Side. He has taken the place of my nemesis among the Sith. Also, he is engaged, much against the will of his Masters, Lord Sidious and Lord Tyranus. Her name is Syerre. You remember her? She is a Rogue Jedi, whose skills in telepathy is surpassed only by you and Master Yoda. Everyone senses how much this engagement is a bad idea. Some reason I sense Syerre would be the Death of Keldin like I was the death of my nemesis.  
  
~Also I came in contact with an odd species a while ago. I believe they are just waiting for their chance to take over the galaxy. We may have to warn the younglings about this possible threat. Oh, I believe one of them even works for Jabba, Met Lyka, I think. It is not easy to sense this race in the Force, at least, I cannot sense them at all. If anyone can figure out how to sense them, you can.  
  
~~~Dark Jedi Xekral Prydon~~~  
  
PS:If you can find Jedi Knight Vergere, it may be great to the Jedi's cause, but somehow she has gone missing. Master Yoda is looking for her.  
  
I had not seen the Jedi Knight Vergere for quite some time, but I was sure with some of the technology that I have on me in my belt I could find where she is, someday.  
  
"Obi-Wan?" the Jedi Master's comlink went off.  
  
"Yes what is it Mace?"  
  
"Change of plans, meeting in a couple hours. Windu-out."  
  
There was a puzzled look upon his face. Jyana looked at Obi-Wan and asked again, "Now what?"  
  
"Do you a have any ideas?"  
  
"You're the General."  
  
"You've been living how long alone and you can't make your own decisions?"  
  
"I can make my own decisions."  
  
"Then why don't you?"  
  
"I don't know my way around Aldera."  
  
"Well I do. Any idea what we could do?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Why can't you make a decision?"  
  
"Why can't you?"  
  
"I don't only have myself to think of."  
  
"Well neither do I."  
  
"Please make a decision."  
  
"I have no opinion."  
  
"Are you always this difficult?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Arg! Okay! Let's go this way," he said wiping his brow with his hand and sighing loudly.  
  
They eventually came upon a place called the Green Cantina and went inside. Jyana looked at Obi-Wan inquisitively. "So what are we doing?"  
  
"I don't know about you, but I know about me."  
  
"And what is that you will do?"  
  
"I am getting a drink," he said matter of factly. He went over to the bar with little thought.  
  
It sounded like a good idea but Jyana sensed Obi-Wan's agitation with her. He had to realize she wasn't exactly accustomed to not being alone, but she figured that didn't matter too much. Sighing she walked towards the bar.  
  
Someone touched her shoulder. She did not face them but kept walking.  
  
"I was talking to you," a rough voice said.  
  
"Oh you were?" her tone showed no interest and a slight sarcasm. If Jyana decided by her sense in the Force someone wasn't worth talking to if they talked to her, she didn't talk to them and could easily have gotten away with completely and totally ignoring them if possible.  
  
But it wasn't possible this time. This guy was seriously asking for a beat down. He grabbed her shoulder forcefully and said something unintelligible and by the sound of it Jyana figured she didn't want to know what it was that was said.  
  
"I'd back away if I were you."  
  
"One little girl?"  
  
The hazel eyes flashed and turned into a red-yellow glow of fire. She whirled around kicking high and he ended up on the ground. He was about to get up but all of a sudden he started writhing in pain clutching a certain male area. "When I say back off, I mean back off." She let him go from her Force-grip, and the people looked around to notice the creature now on the floor. Everyone turned back to their drinks like nothing had happened.  
  
She plopped down on the stool next to Obi-Wan. He rose an eyebrow to her in response to the scene that just had occurred and just sipped his drink.  
  
"A drink for the lady?" the bartender asked, with a vain attempt to make sure that no more mess in the Green Cantina was caused.  
  
She looked over at her fellow Jedi's drink and said, "I'll have what he's having."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"A petite thing?"  
  
"I am not what I appear."  
  
The bartender sighed. "Indeed. As you wish."  
  
Obi-Wan looked over at Jyana and asked, "Are all Eleutherians that flexible?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes... we're shapeshifters as you know."  
  
"Oh right, a changling."  
  
"I am not a bloody changling!"  
  
"Technicalities..."  
  
"Respect it."  
  
"Okay okay, calm down. I'm not your enemy."  
  
"Sorry I'm just suddenly on edge and I'm not completely sure why."  
  
"Funny. I don't sense..."  
  
"You wouldn't Obi-Wan."  
  
"Okay. Then what is it?"  
  
"Something about the Supreme Chancellor is irking me."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
She pointed to a holo near the front of the bar and there was Palpatine making one of his long winded speeches about the state of the Republic. Then he started pinning blame on both the Galatic Senate and the Jedi. Whoever believes this political crap needs to be drug out and shot, Jyana thought for a moment and then banished the thought knowing that that was not the way to handle it. The words the Chancellor was saying were a conjumbled mess of fancy political jargon that probably were about as empty as his promises each month these last two years that the end of the Clone Wars was near. Jyana wondered what this "end" was.  
  
A tap on her shoulder again and Jyana again ignored it. "No one can inflict pain on someone like that..."  
  
"You keep up this nonsense you lose something else," Jyana threatened without blinking.  
  
Another tap on her shoulder but suddenly Obi-Wan whirled around with his lightsabre and chopped off the offending person's arm. "Stop bothering the lady," he said and led a shocked Jyana out of the cantina. Men had learned to fear the brown-haired beauty dressed in her earthen tones. Her green corset top accented her flawless body well. Many whispered questions about what she was doing with a Jedi and then they noticed her own lightsabre hanging from her belt.  
  
Jyana looked at Obi-Wan inquisitively. "You have a thing for whipping it out in bars don't you?"  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Nothing," she smirked maliciously.  
  
Obi-Wan sighed as they walked along a stream on their way finally back to the palace. Jyana was still smirking.  
  
"Well soon its off back to the war."  
  
"Yeah well not yet."  
  
Suddenly there was a loud splash and the wake from where it came flooded over onto the walkway.  
  
Obi-Wan emerged from the water. "What was that for?" he asked the giggling girl.  
  
"Needed to loosen ya up."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Okay, I heard a rumor about you looking good with wet hair. I wanted to test the theory."  
  
A loud sigh was evident. "Well?"  
  
Jyana just wore her smirk and continued walking on. She enjoyed being both difficult and mysterious.  
  
~attachments are forbidden~ resounded in her mind. What attachment? she asked and just continued on her path. 


	7. Five And So It Starts

Chapter Five~ And So It Starts  
  
  
  
Looking in the mirror of the room she stayed in that night, she adjusted her silver armbands over top her long sleeved black top. She was now wearing an all black jumpsuit with black boots. Her utility belt was now silver and black and smooth. She sighed looking in the mirror. She was tired and yet her time had only just begun. Yes, Obi-Wan did look good wet, but that meant nothing.  
  
Jyana had embraced her main form again but dressed like a noble-woman in black. Normally styles of Alderaan and Naboo were white but Jyana refused to wear white. She wasn't a bride and never would be, so why wear white.  
  
She took a seat down on the golden floor pillow in t he room decorated with many different shades of purple. She folded her legs in front of her and took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She cleared her mind of all thought and focused in no direction. Silence and peace flooded her for a few brief moments.  
  
She saw a shadow in the east ever growing. It was thickening with each passing second and would not stop. Faces, she saw but could not name. Green eyes, blue eyes, brown eyes... a dark haired woman with doey brown eyes and a sorrowful and conflicted face. Two children separated in a land of mist. A child in the arms of a tall black man with a helmet. No names were given. Jyana named the dark one, Dark Helmet, until she could call him by another name.  
  
But the shadow continued thickening and it would not cease its thickening.  
  
Jyana opened her eyes to see the bright purples on the walls and interior design of her room. Out the window were the bright white of the buildings and bright green grasses and baby blue sky that had small airbrushed like wisps of white there. So untouched by evil Alderaan was. So peaceful without weapons. No sense at all of the shadow thickening.  
  
But Jyana was not disillusioned.  
  
The purity of Alderaan had no match, its innocence and peace had no end. Jyana knew it had not always been like this, but all worlds had their own rough beginnings. Each past, no matter how dismal or how violent or how full of scars was essential to make one who they were.  
  
But Jyana could not recollect having any shady past. She had spent most her years under the tutelage of Mace Windu and the rest in meditation. She had met all her acquaintances when she was but a Padawan, but felt each change in her friends through he Force due to her high state of meditation. She tried to return to that high state, but she could not. Something about this atmosphere prohibited it. Alderaan may be pure, but nothing, nothing at all, compared to the virgin forest of the Sanctuary Moon of Endor.  
  
She felt that time had slipped away from her. Solitude and peace were no more. It was now time for war.  
  
She straightened up the room she had stayed in and left the room. She looked back and thought she saw an image of a little brown haired girl with a stuffed animal. She wore white and walked with the air of a politician already. But something about her struck Jyana in awe. She would be an honest politician? Oxymoron? No... she would be a very important figure in due time...  
  
And suddenly Jyana wanted a daughter of her own...  
  
She now headed down the hallway. She decided to make sure Obi-Wan was ready for the long trip they were about to take.  
  
She still had to get used to the weird doors all these rooms in the palace had. Of course all doors were odd to her for she lived in a tree for only the Force knew how many years. She buzzed Obi-Wan's room but got no reply. She just then pushed the open button and the door easily slid open. No locks were on any building in Aldera. Guess they trusted their peaceful place more than anything else. Jyana wasn't used to needing locks anyway, but then again, she had lived in a tree.  
  
But Jyana wished he had've attempted to lock the door or warn her or something, or it's highly possible that he didn't hear or sense her coming. She normally walked in stealth mode because she enjoyed silence and sneaking up on people. Yet she heard running water. Just can't keep that boy dry now can we? Hiding in the shadows, also known as disappearing into thin air, Jyana made her way to the sound of water. He was in the shower. Oh lovely. She didn't choose to be a voyeur, but curiosity almost reigned supreme. She quickly made sure she saw nothing and went back to wait by sitting on the couch-bed he had in his room.  
  
The water turned off and Obi-Wan emerged from the refresher.  
  
"I would recommend a towel," Jyana stated aloud in a stoic manner.  
  
Obi-Wan's face turned red as he rushed to get a towel. Well he didn't do it too quickly. Jyana figured he was more embarrassed about her sudden appearance without warning rather than being caught without pants. Jyana just found the situation amusing.  
  
"How'd you get in here?" he asked finally wrapping a towel around his lower region.  
  
"The door."  
  
"Well that much is obvious."  
  
"You know they don't have locks here."  
  
"You could've buzzed."  
  
"I did... that drink yesterday..."  
  
"THE DOOR!"  
  
"Oh right. I did."  
  
"Then I guess I didn't hear you."  
  
"Nor felt. Must've been shut off to the Force while getting all hot and wet."  
  
"It's time to myself... Do you always..."  
  
"Have to turn everything into big sexual references? No...and I didn't. It was you that thought I did."  
  
"What?"  
  
"My sentence was clean, your mind is dirty."  
  
He sighed loudly. "Did you always give Mace this hard of a time?"  
  
"Worse."  
  
"Oh gods."  
  
Jyana made a motion above her head that made it look like she was adjusting something that wasn't there. Obi-Wan did not ask cause he knew she could shapeshift to show whatever she was supposedly adjusting, but she didn't.  
  
"Excuse me..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Can I change?"  
  
"Didn't know you were a shapeshifter."  
  
"Not that kinda change!"  
  
"I don't know. You wanna to the ship in a towel?"  
  
"No." His voice tone sounded very aggravated.  
  
"Okay... I get the point." No more irritation for today.  
  
After Obi-Wan finally put his Jedi robes on, the two headed off towards the hanger in silence. Jyana figured if she tried to make small talk it wouldn't be a good idea. She had gotten the Jedi Master peeved enough with her and she didn't wanna make someone fall over to dark side cause she can be a bit annoying, although she didn't think she was THAT bad.  
  
Bail Organa was already waiting for them. "We're headed to Yavin IV to round of more troops to face the separatists. General Kenobi, take Lieutenant Jade with you in your two seater ship and go on ahead."  
  
"Lieutenant Jade?" Obi-Wan asked confused.  
  
"If you mean me, Senator," Jyana said, "The correct term would be Lieutenant Jyana, for Jade is not my family name. Jyana is."  
  
"Jade is your given name?" Bail Organa questioned her with a confused expression on his face.  
  
"No, Tinu is, Jade is my mother's name. It's a confusing name tradition my people have."  
  
"So Jyana is the family name, your given name is Tinu and your mothers..."  
  
"Given name is Jade. I understand it for it is the way of my people. The more questions you ask the more confused you'll get."  
  
Obi-Wan snickered. "Forgot to warn you, she has a habit of completing other people's sentences."  
  
Jyana glared at him and stalked off towards their ship.  
  
Mace Windu stepped down from where he was and approached Obi-Wan after watching Jyana leave the scene. He addressed the younger Jedi Knight, "May the Force be with you... and whatever you do, don't underestimate her."  
  
"Thank you and I understand Master," he said and headed of to the ship.  
  
Bail Organa looked over at the tall Jedi Master. "Are you sure they aren't going to kill each other?"  
  
"Yes I'm sure. There are other things that could happen."  
  
"But isn't that forbidden?"  
  
"Jyana is the last of her species... No it is not..." 


	8. Six Of Pilots and Ewoks

Chapter Six~ Of Pilots and Ewoks  
  
  
  
The two-seater ship flew by the red-orange ball known as Yavin and headed to it's moon which glistened a blue-green. Jyana kept her mouth shut this time, for she had said enough. They approached the one of the many satellites of the planet. They pulled into Yavin IV. It was relatively isolated from the rest of the galaxy, but still had representation in the Senate. She had only heard of the Senator but knew little. He seemed of an odd sort.  
  
Finally landing, Jyana thought the trip was long enough. Would've felt better if she had confidence that her pilot had known where he was going, or would've been better if he had let her fly. She hated having to depend on others in order to get where she needed to go.  
  
Her boots itched her feet. She was reminded again that on Endor she hadn't needed shoes. She hadn't gotten used to shoes yet, and doubted she even wanted to. Someday she'd be allowed to go barefoot again.  
  
The ship opened and she jumped out. Obi-Wan Kenobi made his way out of the ship behind her. "See I told you I wasn't lost."  
  
"Could've fooled me."  
  
She had noticed that Yavin IV was the ideal location for her own ancestry. The foresting was similar to that of Endor, but not. Yavin IV was more jungle forests and Endor was more temporal forests. She liked Endor better.  
  
They were greeted by a man dressed in all black followed by a black panther that he seemed to always have at his side. He wore a cloak that appeared more like a long coat than a cloak but with a hood. He had brown hair and grey-green eyes. On his left ring finger rested a simple silver band. Jyana thought she saw a silver circlet underneath his hair to signify his station on the world.  
  
"General Kenobi?" he said with a bow.  
  
Obi-Wan bowed in kind, "Senator Peregryne."  
  
"I trust your journey was safe and uneventful Master Jedi."  
  
"We got lost," Jyana said.  
  
Obi-Wan gave her a quick look and sighed, "Yes, relatively uneventful."  
  
Phalen Peregryne rose an eyebrow and turned and led them to the meeting room where a bunch of clone troopers and other fighter pilots were. Jyana noticed the amount of willing fighter pilots among the gang; who were really wishing to fight for the good of the Republic. She noticed a silver glistening from the Senator's belt. He wore a blaster at his side, no matter what. Jyana figured that it was just something about him that made him do so.  
  
He was greeted upon entering the meeting room by a woman in a simple lilac gown. The sleeves were long and sheer and the dress' waistline came right under her bust. Her hair was long, curly and red, and her eyes were green. She greeted her husband the Senator with a kiss and then turned to face Obi- Wan and Jyana. She had a slight coldness in her eyes toward the Jedi. On her hip was a baby girl with curly red hair and hazel eyes. Jyana blinked and smiled looking at the child. She felt her heart go out to them. She then looked up at the woman. Her chill to the Jedi wasn't completely understood. I'm not who you think.  
  
You're not?  
  
I'm not like the others.  
  
And a smile crossed her face. A peace came over Jyana. She had found rapport with Lilanniah Harenae.  
  
She heard a familiar voice in the distance and turned around.  
  
"Well I'm cute!" said a tiny creature in a black Jedi robe with tiny ears sticking out of his hood.  
  
"Na uh. I'm cuter," responded a slightly round man in an orange flight suit.  
  
"No, I'm cuter."  
  
"No way. I'm cuter."  
  
"Ew no. I'm cuter."  
  
"Well I'm sexy."  
  
"I beg to differ."  
  
"Shut-up! I'm still cuter."  
  
"No one's cuter than me."  
  
"Well I am."  
  
"No you ain't."  
  
"But you ain't got muscles like these."  
  
"Big muscles, small brains."  
  
"Shut-up!" The man began to stalk off.  
  
"That's what I thought you puddle of fat."  
  
"I heard that!" he whirled around.  
  
"So what?"  
  
"I ain't fat I'm festively plump."  
  
"Yeah a moonshine festival."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Jyana butted in then, knowing her old friend a bit too well, "Wokki!"  
  
The furry face turned around to look up at her. "Goddess," he smiled.  
  
"You know you're going to give Jedi Ewoks a bad name."  
  
"Well he gives fighter pilots a bad name."  
  
"I heard that!" he shouted.  
  
"Wokki be nice."  
  
"But Tre ain't!"  
  
"Wokki..."  
  
"Yes your highness."  
  
Jyana looked up at the main who had challenged the ewok's state of cuteness. "And you are?"  
  
"Tre Montl. And you are sexy."  
  
"Pleasure," Jyana said rolling her eyes.  
  
"She's a Jedi," Wokki said with a grin.  
  
Tre wasn't phased.  
  
Wokki pointed to his little silver lightsabre and Jyana pointed to hers. Tre took t hat as a not so subtle hint and backed off.  
  
Jyana looked about the troops and saw the ships they would be flying.  
  
"So which one do I get?" Wokki asked looking at the ships.  
  
Jyana looked at him in question. "What do you mean? You only just learned to fly."  
  
"So. I'm a fast learner."  
  
Jyana also laughed but didn't. Wokki ran over to Obi-Wan and went about trying to get his place in the upcoming battle.  
  
"So which one can I fly?"  
  
"You can fly?" Obi-Wan was speechless.  
  
"Yep I can, General Kenobi."  
  
"Um, I don't think you would fit."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Obi-Wan kneeled to face the ewok. He took in the situation. He knew not to judge by size, as Master Yoda had taught him. This ewok was a Jedi, no matter what preconceptions he had of ewoks. But what he was telling the Jedi was true. "These fighters are not designed for your species. The controls would need to be bigger and closer together to fit your paws, and your feet and arms wouldn't even be able to reach the controls."  
  
Wokki was not insulted but still had a cheery disposition and still persisted. "I can get prosthetics on arms and legs to reach the controls. I even always do a battle cry each time I go out to fly."  
  
"I'm sorry Master Ewok, but all the fighters for this round have been claimed."  
  
The furry critter shrugged. "Oh well, at least I tried. Anything else you want me to do?"  
  
"Umm... you could do some scouting out for us on the moon."  
  
"Where?"  
  
This took some quick thinking. "Go climb a tree."  
  
Wokki very enthusiastically said as he darted off to do just that, "Yub yub General Kenobi!"  
  
Jyana sighed and looked at the Jedi star fighter that would be hers. She had a little R4 droid to herself as did the other two Jedi star fighters would as well. The other ships she didn't know enough about to be able to know what to do. In the hanger were Headhunters and then alpha-TIE-fighters that were the ships that the clone troopers trained in starship fighting were to use. Z-95 Headhunters were for the regular fighter pilots. She didn't see many droids so from what she gathered there were no droids for Headhunters. Not being around enough space battles she found that idea rather odd, but she had room for flexibility in all things. She was a shapeshifter after all.  
  
Once Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan made it to Yavin IV he and Senator Phalen Peregryne called together the meeting of all the troops to discuss the plans. Lilanniah sat among the group of clone troopers and fighter pilots like she was in on this attack. Jyana felt like she and her female counterpart were ready for a fight at all costs. She felt her own excitement. Finally she was going to get some action.  
  
"The separatists are situated near Yavin VI which in its orbit is on the total opposite side of the planet. Sources say they anticipate our attack, and are prepared to take the moon at anytime to spawn the attack. It's our job to knock out the droid control ship so that that doesn't happen. We will meet them halfway most likely and have at it," Phalen stated.  
  
"That's it? A simple band of us against them in the lovely gravitational pull of Yavin?" Jyana questioned. It wasn't proper protocol for anyone of lower status to question, but she either didn't seem to care about protocol or just was ignorant of the fact. The fact that she had broached protocol was ignored at the time.  
  
"That is our plan... You'd better accept it," Obi-Wan said smugly.  
  
"I see..."  
  
They went over a few other battle details and Jyana found herself spacing out. She relied on her own power of observation to come back in when needed to for important details, but the other stuff she could just tap into someone's memory and get it out when she so needed. The whole tactic seemed so planned out like it wasn't even in defense of anything of for any other purpose than just pride or just a fight.  
  
Bail Oragana was keen at observation. "Do you have a problem Lieutenant Jyana?" he asked.  
  
"It just makes no sense to me."  
  
"What doesn't?"  
  
"So this is that planned? Like everything? What are we supposed to do, fight them, rack up some casualties, someone surrender after the skirmish and then afterwards we go out and party and get plastered together?"  
  
The only response was that of crickets.  
  
"It's sort of like two guys fighting over a girl and beating the snot out of each other and then going out for drinks afterwards like nothing happened."  
  
Again the only response came from the crickets. Jyana contemplated the theory of possibly hiring cricket troopers for they seemed like they were the only ones that understood her.  
  
"I totally lost y'all didn't I?"  
  
Obi-Wan was just staring at her in shock it appeared at what she said. He did not appreciate her bluntness and her boldness. He had no idea why Master Mace Windu had wanted her on this mission so badly, and Obi-Wan didn't know how much more he could take. He decided to ignore Jyana's blunt and out of place comments. "Okay we have three Jedi star fighters, piloted by myself, Jyana and Lilaniah."  
  
Phalen's eyes flickered at the mention of his wife's name but said nothing.  
  
"We have 12 Z-95 Headhunters, which will be led out by Senator Peregryne. And then the clone troopers will head out in 36 alpha-TIE-fighters. They know what to do."  
  
After the meeting adjourned, Jyana approached General Kenobi. "3 disorganized groups?" she asked.  
  
"I would pay attention next time if I were you."  
  
"Thankfully you are not me."  
  
"What do you mean by that?"  
  
"If you were me life would be less interesting," she said sticking her tongue out at him.  
  
"Do you ever pay attention to instruction?"  
  
"Yes I do pay attention and I paid enough attention just now."  
  
"Then what's your problem?"  
  
"I just don't agree."  
  
"Do you have a better plan?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then stop questioning authority."  
  
"What authority?"  
  
"Do you not respect a Jedi Master?"  
  
"I take orders from one person on this mission. Me."  
  
"I see."  
  
The two then parted from each other to avoid any other entanglements.  
  
Senator Peregryne remarked to Senator Organa after seeing this, "And this is gonna help our cause how?"  
  
"You just have to have faith. Masters Yoda and Windu have faith this will work to our advantage."  
  
"I sure hope they're right." 


	9. Seven Battle of Yavin VI

Chapter Seven~ Battle of Yavin VI  
  
  
  
"The separatists took Yavin VI by force," Phalen stated as he came into the room, carrying his blaster at his side and with the poise of someone who knew what he was doing, "It's time we take back what is ours."  
  
"So it looks like we will have to send the clone troopers to that moon's surface to fight for its freedom from separatist rule," Bail commented.  
  
"If it's a fight they want it's a fight they're gonna get," Lilanniah stated with power.  
  
"Hun you should stay behind with Anamikayla," Phalen told his wife.  
  
"Ana will be fine so long as the separatists are blown out of this system."  
  
"Lily..."  
  
"Look, I'm fighting to keep them away from our baby."  
  
"Lily..."  
  
"There's nothing you can say to change my mind."  
  
"Then who will watch her?"  
  
"I will," the squeaky voice of the Jedi, Wokki, said as he hobbled up, "They won't let me fly anyway." The disappointment in his voice was obvious, but he had an aura of contentment regardless.  
  
Phalen looked at him and then knelt down to look at the ewok eye to eye. "How much experience do you have with children?"  
  
"Plenty."  
  
"This is my little girl we're talking about."  
  
"I have three ewok apprentices, who are also my sons, as well as 8 other children for your information. I have a few little girls of my own."  
  
"And you're a Jedi." The puzzlement was evident on the Senator's face.  
  
"Jedi respect culture as fundamental in the making of a person or ewok. They did not make me sacrifice my culture for the Order."  
  
"Lily?" Phalen then asked his wife.  
  
"I've already decided." Determination was on her face.  
  
"She's my little girl too..."  
  
"Yeah? So? Did you birth her?"  
  
"Uh..."  
  
Wokki tugged Phalen's sleeve. "No argue in front of baby." The ewok already had the child in his arms. It was an interesting thing to see because the proportion in size was odd. The child was at least one third of the size of a full-grown ewok, or at least that's how it appeared.  
  
Lilanniah was about to head off to her ship but Phalen pulled her back. "Not now," she said noting the look in his eyes.  
  
"Lily," he began but could not will himself to finish.  
  
"I will be fine. Stop worrying."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Phalen... we have to go."  
  
He then took her cheek in his hand. His other hand held her two hands. They stood there like this for a few minutes that seemed like eternity just looking into each other's eyes. Both were in all black with accented silver, Lily's flight suit the same style as Jyana's.  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you."  
  
And the married couple kissed and parted their ways.  
  
Lilanniah headed off to her Jedi star fighter and put the silver headpiece on her head and arranged her hair back into a braid behind her.  
  
Jyana in her Jedi star fighter did the same. She sighed after watching the exchange between husband and wife. Til death do you part... She then shook her head into focus and nodded over at General Kenobi to indicate the trio of Jedi were ready. Although Lily was not technically a Jedi, she agreed to fight as one today for the protection of her home system and first and foremost for her child.  
  
The three Jedi star fighters were to lead off the attack. They were going to straight in and attack the droid control ship while the headhunters attempted to create a diversion and go against the droid star fighters to pave the way for the alpha-TIE-fighters carrying the clone troopers to the moon of Yavin VI. Part of this had been Jyana's idea for Obi-Wan decided it was best to listen to the outspoken girl for a change.  
  
"Jedi leader, General Kenobi in. Report."  
  
"Jedi 2, Goddess in. Standing by," reported Jyana.  
  
"Jedi 3, Pixxie in. Standing by," reported Lily.  
  
"Keep your eyes peeled for things unknown. This space has much in common with the Sith," Obi-Wan reminded the two girls.  
  
Jyana retorted quickly, "Your eyes can deceive you, General. Don't trust them."  
  
They flew around the red planet Yavin, careful of the gas-giants intense gravitational pull. They were all well seasoned fighters, known not to make a first aggressive move. Jyana longed for a ship with a cloaking device, for disappearing seemed more pleasurable to have in battle. Although all well known cloakers only hide and you cannot fight or go into hyperspace while cloaked. It's also common curtsey. But Jedi star fighters were not equipped with cloaking devices much to the chagrin of the Eleutherian who loved to hide in the shadows.  
  
They spotted them. Jyana could sense warning. Lily caught her message of warning in the Force first.  
  
Firing started up, and Jyana realized the vacuum of space. Sounds were practically impossible to hear due to the vacuum because sound relies on air to travel. But a trained fighter pilot knew when they were being shot at.  
  
"Blast!" Obi-Wan cursed as the three Jedi star fighters came under attack by 21 droid fighters.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Red leader calling in. All headhunters report in."  
  
"Red 2 standing by."  
  
"Red 3 standing by."  
  
"Red 4 standing by."  
  
"Red 5 standing by."  
  
"Red 6 standing by."  
  
"Red 7 standing by."  
  
"Red 8 standing by."  
  
"Red 9 standing by."  
  
"You see them ahead Moonie?"  
  
"Right o' Red Leader."  
  
"Okay Stitch and Moonie and I will get our Jedi out of there."  
  
"Copy Red Leader."  
  
"Last three report."  
  
"Red 10 standing by."  
  
"Red 11 standing by."  
  
"Red 12 standing by."  
  
"Okay Squeeks, we have to cover them."  
  
"Copy that Brigand."  
  
"Jedi Leader where are you?"  
  
"Under fire on this side of Yavin III."  
  
Phalen's eyes darted ahead and saw them ahead. He pushed behind him the feeling that Lily was out there, under fire as well. She was a strong woman and he knew she could take care of herself fine. He could not help but worry about her, but he knew too much worrying would smother her, and that would push her away rather than draw her closer to him. The young senator/warrior took a deep breath, pushing those thoughts away for now; it was time for action, not indecision.  
  
"General, pull back to Red flight, as we planned."  
  
"I copy you Red Leader, pulling back now."  
  
Phalen nodded, surveying space for a moment. They were closer to Yavin than he would have liked, the gravity well of the planet would affect the maneuvering of the star fighters. The plan would be unaffected by this... hopefully.  
  
"Red flight, initiate tactical formation sigma seven."  
  
A chorus of "aye-ayes" came through the radio, and the Headhunter Star fighters began splitting up into three groups of four fighters. These four groups then formed into small 2x2 walls, and formed a rough triangle.  
  
"Red Leader, ETA is fifteen minutes," the report came from the Jedi, "Red Flight hold position."  
  
"Will do General, you can count on us."  
  
The time passed slowly and nervously. Phalen reviewed the plan mentally. The Jedi were heading forward to try, and draw as many droid fighters away from the Control ship. Red squad was waiting fifteen minutes away, to drain the Droid fighters batters to half. As this would make the Droids easy picking, hopefully turning the tide in favor of the Republic.  
  
"We're five minutes out, and closing," the report came from General Kenobi.  
  
"We're ready."  
  
Three minutes more passed.  
  
"I'm detecting the Jedi," Stitch spoke up, "targeting the Droids."  
  
"Red flight... attack, code is zero zero zero."  
  
Phalen snapped the Headhunter from zero thrust to full and dove down towards the oncoming Droid fighters. The Droids at first did not process the new threat, and that was their downfall.  
  
Phalen squeezed the trigger, sending pulses of energy stabbing into one of the Droid fighters. The beams blasted its port wing off, and the Droid fighter spun out of control, towards the planet Yavin. Twelve more soon followed as the rest of Red Squad opened fired.  
  
Phalen rolled the Headhunter onto his starboard wing and pulled up. A Droid fighter whizzed underneath him, setting proximity alarms blaring. He breathed out a sigh of relief, which was short lived as the targeting alarm sounded.  
  
"Bandit on your six!" the call came from Red 7, "I'll get him!"  
  
Phalen threw the fighter onto its side and turned on his wing. Red 7 flew strait past him, weapons blazing. Phalen pulled around and onto the tail of another, and he glanced at his readouts.  
  
"How did you pull half of the Droid fighters?!" he snapped as another two fighter locked onto his tail.  
  
"Luck," came back the response from one of the Jedi, Phalen was too busy in a series of evasive patterns to place the voice.  
  
It had been Lily, for both Jyana and Obi-Wan thought something along the lines of that there was no luck, with Jyana's thought being, In my experience there's no such thing as luck. She could feel through the Force that Obi-Wan shared her thought.  
  
Fire traced past his cockpit, sending Phalen into another series of evasive patterns. This time he threw the Droids, and came up on the rear of one.  
  
"Time to return the favor," he muttered.  
  
Blaster fire thrust into the fighter, piercing the main computer. The Droid fighter continued on strait, at full burn, toward Yavin.  
  
"Nice shooting, Red Leader," a voice complimented, but Phalen did not notice, he was too busy lining up the next fighter in his sights...  
  
"Bandits incoming!" someone shouted, and a fresh flight of Droid entered the fray.  
  
Someone cursed over the radio, and suddenly a scream that ended in radio static.  
  
"They got Red 11!" came the shout, "let them have it."  
  
Phalen pulled up, ending up heading 180 degrees, just in time to watch Red 5 ram another Droid fighter.  
  
"Homis!" he snapped, "stop ramming the Droids!"  
  
"Can't help it sir, only way I can take them down!" the reply came instantly.  
  
"But your ship..."  
  
As Homis rammed another droid, his wing sheared off, and the ship spun away...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Phalen cursed under his breath and targeted another fighter, this one was too far out for his lasers, and so he brought up the targeting for his torpedoes. He held course, taking a few random hits, and triggered his missiles as soon as the target lock sounded. As his weapons launched at the Droid fighter, the weapon lock tone sounded, and rolled upwards and onto his port wing. Laser fire stitched space where he had been moments before, and the Droid fighter turned and kept on his tail.  
  
"Got a bandit on my six, need a cleaning!" Phalen snapped as he tried another maneuver, but it also failed on loosing the Droid, but it kept him alive.  
  
"Let's try the oldest trick in the book..." he muttered, and as he dove, he shut off his engines and hit the retro rockets.  
  
The Droid fighter sped ahead of him for a second, Phalen brought his guns to bear and fired, sending the Droid to a fiery grave. He shook his head, the blood rush from that last maneuver had almost caused a red out.  
  
Phalen surveyed the battle, three more of Red flight had fallen, and the Jedi, no big surprise, were all still in the fight. The battle had ranged far from its starting point, gradually closer and closer to the Droid Control Ship. Now they were close enough for the Jedi to make their run... hopefully anyway.  
  
"Jedi flight, make your run now or never, we'll hold off the Droids as long as we can," Phalen said, his voice strangely calm, "May the Force be with you."  
  
He sighted a new target, and dove in.  
  
Jyana dodged the fiery droid star fighter as it hurled towards and past her on its way to the bloodstained Yavin. The gravity had already claimed its toll on both sides of the battle. She was lost in the fleet and could not see the rest of the gang.  
  
"Goddess where are you?" General Kenobi asked over the com.  
  
Her eyes darted around for location and spotted him. "The planet side of Yavin V, General."  
  
"You see the droid control ship over there by Yavin VI?"  
  
"I see nothing but this damn moon, bloody planet and enemy fighters."  
  
"I see you now. We're coming to get you."  
  
But as Obi-Wan headed towards her with a couple headhunters on his tail in aid, a ship blew up in his view. His eyes widened. Scanning frantically through the reign of fire he could not believe his eyes.  
  
She was gone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Jyana!" Lily screamed across the com in panic.  
  
Obi-Wan was in shock. A sudden pang of guilt hit him. Lily poured into the surrounding droid ships with the headhunters behind her. Her rage was felt through all corners of the Force. Obi-Wan was grateful that Lily was not a Jedi, or else that would've been a bit dangerous... but he wasn't really thinking about Lily at that time. His blue-green eyes stared ahead in dumbfounded shock.  
  
"General, we have to go on."  
  
"I copy Red Leader."  
  
"Move out."  
  
Obi-Wan felt something though. He couldn't tell what it was. A flash of fire and a ship resting turned off on the other side of a piece of rock. He had used that maneuver before, but he doubted it would be used again. He felt like there was hope, but it dwindled so thinly within him as he blinked back a tear.  
  
Eyes opened after much thought. "Well R4, I think we've waited long enough."  
  
The droid beeped a few times.  
  
"My eyes are fine."  
  
More beeping.  
  
"Fire light fire bright, will not destroy my sight."  
  
More beeping.  
  
"I shapeshift."  
  
The droid still beeped in concern, but reluctant obedience.  
  
"Fire light fire bright, whom must I fry tonight."  
  
The ship turned on and Obi-Wan suddenly felt something odd. He looked through the Force expecting a Void.  
  
"Jyana," he said with a soft cry.  
  
"General, we're paving the way."  
  
"She's still out there, Red Leader."  
  
"Inconceivable."  
  
"Goddess, report."  
  
"Sorry bout that y'all. I had to escape from the ships."  
  
As Obi-Wan inquired, "What happened?" Phalen muttered to himself through the com, "Inconceivable."  
  
"I hit one enemy fighter and it crashed into another. And then I hit two with the same missile. So 4 droid starships crashed together. If I didn't conceal myself onto the satellite, Yavin I, I would probably be dead. It made a lovely sheild as the reign of fire went down in to that bloody planet."  
  
Obi-Wan's eyes were wide and he took a deep sigh. "It's good to hear your voice again, Jyana."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Alright y'all," Phalen sighed, "Lets get a move on. You Jedi need to get your act together and get back in there."  
  
"Copy Red Leader."  
  
"Good to hear ya again, Goddess," Lily said over the com, "Thought we had lost you there."  
  
"Lose me? Now why would you wanna go and do that?" the sarcasm dripped from the Eleutherian.  
  
"See the path?" Phalen questioned.  
  
"Got ya there, Red Leader."  
  
The pathway cleared and it was time.  
  
"Take us in Pixxie," Obi-Wan said.  
  
Jyana ignored the call. She had entered back into her state of mind while she had rested on the moon and wished to drag the other two Force-strong people in as well. She sensed something. Falling into a sense of calmness she felt its beckoning, promising more than imagined. She heard its call, however familiar to her. Shadow parted around her and she answered.  
  
The Force.  
  
She knew what they could do. She knew the power they could have.  
  
Someone called to her on the com but her mind had entered into a communion. Peace. Such peace she had never felt before. If only she wasn't alone...  
  
Hear me, her telepathic call entered into the minds of the Jedi star fighters' pilots. Join with me.  
  
"Jyana?" Obi-Wan replied audibly surprised by the power of her voice within his mind. Lily didn't reply so Jyana sensed that despite her anger towards the Jedi way, she had already accepted her call.  
  
Three as one. Let go what you know. Join with us, three as one. Lend me your eyes.  
  
Obi-Wan knew he must. Joining with the women into a new stage of consciousness. Each flew with added perspectives offered by the other two flanking craft, giving each extra eyes, extra perceptions. All anticipation as they gave into the Force. Their weaving perfect in precision and strategy.  
  
"Red Leader what are they doing? They aren't answering our call."  
  
"They must be doing some Force thing," Phalen responded with a sigh, but watched with admiration.  
  
The fighting continued, the Jedi weaved into the direction they were led. Enemy fighters went down ship by ship, until there was only one direct route to the droid control ship in orbit of Yavin VI. The alpha-TIE- fighters had already penetrated to the moon with the diversion done by the Jedi and the headhunters.  
  
The Jedi dove in towards the droid control ship, now relatively unprotected.  
  
Phalen watched in awe as he gunned down the last remaining droid starship that he had in his sights.  
  
"Back away from the ship... the biggun... it's gonna blow," came over the com from Jyana as the three Jedi starships came weaving away from it at top speed.  
  
They jetted back towards Yavin IV as the droid control ship blew up in rings of fire. 


	10. Eight The Prodigal

Chapter Eight~ The Prodigal  
  
  
  
The fighters were greeted with cheers from the masses upon their arrival back into the docking bay on Yavin IV. Phalen jumped out of his headhunter and went straight to Lily's ship to give her a big hug and kiss as she got out.  
  
Jyana stepped out of the ship to notice Wokki kneeling towards her. She knew that he had been listening into the fighters com communication. All the faces now looked at her with awe. She wondered if Wokki had told them the ewoks call her the Great Tree Goddess.  
  
It was Obi-Wan who first greeted her. He embraced her in the tightest hug that she had ever received from anyone, since she hardly ever got hugged in the first place. "Thought you were gone," he whispered into her hair so that only she could hear.  
  
She looked around at the bewildered faces of the other fighter pilots and said, "Ummm... you're hugging me..."  
  
Obi-Wan caught the message and quickly let go. "Sorry."  
  
Jyana blinked at him a bit. She didn't know how to take the shock that he actually hugged her and appeared as if he cared.  
  
And he just stared at her. As much as he didn't think he liked her when he first met her there was something. Her hazel eyes shown a light brown today, a soften yet glowing glisten of green to them as well.  
  
But the Code. Cannot be attached.  
  
What is that in her eyes?  
  
Lily ran up to Jyana and embraced her newfound friend. "Don't you ever pull a stunt like that again," she told her.  
  
"What stunt?" Jyana asked with a smirk.  
  
"Don't make us think you were gone."  
  
"I was aiming to trick the enemy fighters. Y'all just can't read my mind."  
  
Obi-Wan just blinked at the two girls who now faced him with their arms around each other like they were blood sisters. "You gave us quite a scare there," Obi-Wan told Jyana.  
  
"Fear is of the Dark Side."  
  
"You know what I mean."  
  
She sighed. "I know."  
  
"What gave you that idea?"  
  
"What idea?"  
  
"To hide on the moon so that they didn't find you after the explosion. Make them think you were gone?"  
  
"Oh that idea. You did."  
  
"I did?"  
  
"When you escaped Jango Fett in the asteroid belt of Geonosis didn't you use the same maneuver?"  
  
Obi-Wan blinked. He didn't remember ever telling her about that. He didn't remember telling many people if anybody about that.  
  
I can read your mind Obi-Wan. I saw that incident in your mind and decided to use it.  
  
A chill went up through Obi-Wan's spine. He remembered hearing many times about the Force linking two people together. There were two cases of that. There was the Force link between Master and Apprentice, and then there was the Force link between husband and wife, the latter one much more passionate and powerful than the former. He wondered what that could mean.  
  
I read many people's and creature's minds. Tis a curse of my race. It's a Force link if you can read my mind.  
  
Obi-Wan felt as if he was. He shook his head. Now he was thoroughly freaked out. First he randomly hugged Jyana because he had been scared he had lost her. Second the mere fact he didn't want to lose her. Third, those eyes... if he had stared into them long enough he would've been hypnotized. And now this...  
  
The celebration that was now being thrown by that darned ewok could not continue though. Ewoks were notorious for starting up parties despite whether the war was over or not, but just for one won battle. Jyana looked at Obi-Wan and smiled at him. He smiled back and took his leave. She looked back at the celebration. Jyana thought that it wasn't right to celebrate until the war was over. The people were drinking and happy. They had their sware. They didn't think about the men who were lost, didn't think about the close call that even she had. She was personally disgusted. So she left. Her mind was uneasy.  
  
She then saw a sleek silver ship descending to land in the docking bay. The silver glistened in the morning light of Yavin and its sun. Uneasiness overtook her as she sensed who had arrived.  
  
She had walked back to her quarters on Yavin IV and slipped into the refresher. Sliding off her silver arm bands she looked down at herself. She was a warrior, one who fought with a fierceness that surpassed even her own knowledge. A conflict had arisen in her. She was a Jedi, bound by a Code she hardly understood. Many followed the Code in blind faith, but that was not for her. Her beliefs had to be grounded in fact, logic and experience. She knew the power that flowed in her veins. But she had never encountered a weakness in her powers.  
  
Until now.  
  
After she took off her black flight suit and unbraided her hair, she stepped into the shower which she had already turned on by use of the Force so that she wouldn't step into ice cold water.  
  
But maybe it was a cold shower she needed.  
  
She attempted to drown herself in the water falling down on her, but didn't succeed. She had focused so long on survival on self-preservation. Nothing would kill her until she was ready to go.  
  
But suddenly she who knew no fear was scared... not of death... but...  
  
It was those blue-green eyes. Something about them made her melt. Something about those eyes made her want to fall over only to be caught by him. So much promise, so much passion, so much more than what was simply seen behind those eyes as blue as the sea after a storm.  
  
And yet what promise is there of one who cannot allow himself to be attached? What promise is there from one who followed a strict Code that forbid that which the carnal natures desired?  
  
But wasn't it true you could not govern such things with a silly Code?  
  
Jyana ran her hand through her long chocolate tresses as the water and lather was worked into her scalp. Water dripped over her flawless form and her curves in all the right places.  
  
It was too bad she didn't believe in love, or at least that she would ever experience it first hand and in it's true form.  
  
She knew all about lust. She recalled those dreams she had when she was younger and developing. She looked and acted like a human did and developed in the same way. Eleutherians were really not all that different. She remembered a fellow Padawan who's name was "Wood" she thought. His hair was a medium brown as was his eyes but it was something about his voice that... well... and then one time she had seen him in this blue-green plaid skirt like thing... oh... but it was forbidden and Jyana fought against such feelings with a passion.  
  
She grew out of that phase. At least she thought she had.  
  
She wondered again about the time on Alderaan when she caught Obi-Wan in the shower. She had trained herself to be very calm in all situations. Truth was she had never seen a man like that before and truly she didn't know what to think. Her face now flushed as she thought back to the incident. Although she concluded the male body left much to be desired and it was rather funny looking at first glance... she truly didn't mind the view. She wondered though if she would be criticized by her Masters if they found out. Keyword being if.  
  
And if she had anything to say in the matter, they won't.  
  
A vision came to her mind of many more forms of cleansing, body, mind, soul and spirit.  
  
A man of strong build ran his fingers through his black hair revealing a scar that went into his scalp and created a white streak in his hair. He closed his pale green eyes against the water. As it dripped over his fine frame he was thinking of many things.  
  
He was not alone.  
  
She was dark haired and dark eyed with a fire that only this man seemed to quench. Only this one moment were they at peace from the Shadow Fallen.  
  
Jyana closed her eyes against the current. As tired as she was of war she hadn't tasted much of it yet. The shadow was still thickening and it would not clear.  
  
She hoped Wokki and his crazy party type antics were finally over.  
  
She turned off the shower and stepped out. She grabbed a towel and flipped her hair over into it and wrapped it into the towel and set the pile, towel and all on her head.  
  
It didn't stay. Her natural hair was too long and thick to want to behave as the towel slumped over on her head. She took the towel off and began to dry her body. She stood there for a moment noticing herself. Se didn't find herself attractive despite her flawlessness due to shapeshifting. She thought it was flaws that made a person. Whether it be weak or strong.  
  
And she knew what her flaw was. She had a soft heart. But this was making her stronger despite herself.  
  
She took her towel and wrapped it around her body. Emerging from the fresher she realized she wasn't alone.  
  
"Thanks for the warning Master Kenobi."  
  
"Just thought to check up on you."  
  
Her face flushed a bright pink. "I'm sorry about earlier on Alderaan..."  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'd say we're even."  
  
She couldn't help but notice the glint in his eye. "May I have some privacy Master..."  
  
"Call me Obi-Wan."  
  
"Obi-Wan... please."  
  
"I will leave now," he said still smirking taking in the view of the Eleutherian in a towel, "But I wish you to meet someone."  
  
Jyana looked up at him. "Your apprentice?"  
  
He nodded. "Yes he just arrived with the Senator from Naboo."  
  
"The silver ship?"  
  
"Of course. All Nubian ships are silver like that."  
  
"Ah yes." She paused for a moment to gain more composure for she was still slightly uncomfortable with the current situation she was in. She put on a pleasant disposition. "I'd be delighted. Allow me to find my clothing and I'll be right there."  
  
Obi-Wan was about to leave but then turned back and said, "Oh. Wear that green and brown thing you have."  
  
She looked at him curiously. "Why?"  
  
"It looks better on you than black."  
  
"Uh... Okay."  
  
As he left Jyana was left with the image of his eyes having scanned her. And she felt exposed, but some reason she didn't quite mind.  
  
She didn't know why she had even listened to him and put it on but she did. She left her silver bands back in her quarters because she didn't want to bother with the chilling metal on her skin straight after a shower. This left Jyana's leaf design on her left bicep that came with her natural form in clear view. She walked down the hall with poise and strength to her step.  
  
She noticed that since the battle ended Lily and Phalen were nowhere to be found. She realized this when she noticed Wokki still carrying the baby, Ana, around. It was still such an odd sight to see a full grown ewok holding a human baby.  
  
She came upon the corridor Obi-Wan had told her he would be and noticed two men sparring with lightsabres. They were alone. Jyana immediately noticed Obi-Wan but then noticed the more slender boy, no, man he was training with.  
  
His blond hair dripped with sweat and his blue-eyes shown with a fierce intensity that many Jedi lacked. So this was the Chosen One? His slender form was well built as his bare chest glistened in the heat of the sparring and of that which the moon normally possessed. His blue lightsabre flashed as did Obi-Wan's as they sparred back and forth.  
  
Obi-Wan was also without his shirt, and though his chest had a tad more hair than his apprentice's it did not change the fact that it too was well built.  
  
Then she thought about how come guys had to wear shirts to begin with.  
  
Then she remembered a few guys. Jaden, Xekral, and Xekral's nemesis... and that Met guy and realized... shirts were a good thing for some guys. But to each his own.  
  
She propped herself up against a column whose architecture had no equal in the galaxy and watched master and apprentice train with the weapons that were the life of a Jedi.  
  
But all she could see was fire and lava in the distance.  
  
Obi-Wan noticed the woman watching and turned off his lightsabre. Anakin did likewise and noticed his master looking over at she who wore a tight- fitting corset and brown pants that were weighted down by a belt so that a sliver of tan-pink skin showed from her midsection. He rose his eyebrow in question but noticed the lightsabre hanging from her belt. Sighing he pushed away his thoughts of suspected hypocrisy on his master's part. Then his eyes glinted to notice that she also carried a blaster. Such a thing was unheard of among normal Jedi of this time, but dark times had come so this woman must think she needs to be ready for anything. Little did young Skywalker know that her blaster was used more than her lightsabre, for no other reason than just her feeling like using it.  
  
"Allow me to introduce you, my young Padawan..." Obi-Wan started.  
  
"Jyana Tinu Jade," she spoke up first offering her hand to him.  
  
"Anakin Skywalker," the young man said awkwardly shaking her hand.  
  
"Pleasure to meet you," she said with a smile.  
  
He nodded slightly confused as to the point of this meeting.  
  
She looked over at Obi-Wan. "Not bad."  
  
"What's not bad?"  
  
"She looked both guys up and down and had a glint in what Obi-Wan had come to call in his mind, her hazel gems. "You appear to be doing a good job."  
  
"What do you mean by that?"  
  
"With how you are it'd be interesting to see how an apprentice of yours would turn out."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" the other man said.  
  
The dark glare in Anakin's eyes started Jyana as she quickly said to hopefully calm him, "I'm just being a pain in Obi-Wan's arse like usual. Not like you know what that is like."  
  
The two male Jedi looked at each other and said nothing.  
  
Jyana reached for her lightsabre and said, "Anyone up to spar with me? I'm out of practice... terribly out of practice."  
  
Before Anakin could take the challenge Obi-Wan waved him to the side and took her challenge. He knew not to underestimate Jyana as Master Windu had told him, so he took this as a welcome challenge. He would fight her as an equal but it was very possible she was his superior in skill, much like he noticed Anakin was becoming. Not like Obi-Wan would ever admit that to his Padawan himself. Anakin didn't need a swelled head.  
  
Heaven knows he had enough of one as it is.  
  
Jyana ignited her green blade and held it in front of her with one hand. She plotted her form of attack upon the Jedi Master. As she lunged she poured into this sparring the passion of her soul.  
  
Obi-Wan had never fought such passion before to his knowledge. The woman moved with such speed and agility she made the Sith Lord who had killed Qui- Gon look like an amateur or even a bump on a log. He tried to remember back to the time he had defeated the Sith, but he was no longer as young as he would like to be.  
  
It didn't matter. He could anticipate each of her moves though she moved in stealth and had a fighting technique only known by Jedi who were trained to be like "ninjas" of old. She had a technique of martial arts, of flipping of very flexible moves that if he even tried to do he'd strain something. Sometimes it seemed like she moved in slow motion or froze in the air at times. He had never fought this technique before. He found himself pondering over exactly how old Jyana was, but he knew immediately it was not polite to ask a woman her age.  
  
After what seemed like ages they were face to face with their lightsabres crossed just so, both of them not sure of what was within those eyes.  
  
Jyana was the first to pull back and sheath her lightsabre to notice Anakin had been joined by a lovely dark-haired and eyed woman. Her eyes noticed that Anakin had picked up his shirt but had not put it back on, and then she looked back at Obi-Wan. She read fatigue in his eyes.  
  
"If you'll excuse me," his accented voice said, "I need to go meditate."  
  
"That's fine. Will do you good," Jyana responded without noticing or even realizing the husky tone in his voice.  
  
He nodded moved to pick up his shirt with the Force and without putting it on, he just draped it over his shoulder. He nodded to Jyana and then to Anakin and the woman beside him and left without anything else said.  
  
Jyana watched him leave and thought that it was men like Obi-Wan that looked good from every angle.  
  
She would later smack herself for that thought, once she realized she needed to.  
  
Anakin interrupted her muse by saying, "Master Jyana..."  
  
She cut him off quickly, "I'm not a Master. Just call me Jyana."  
  
"Okay," he said with slight irritation, "Allow me to introduce..."  
  
Images flashed through the Eleutherian's mind. Crying. Weeping. Pain. Sorrow. Destruction. She looked into the brown eyes of the woman in front of her and saw in their depths and more. Love.  
  
"Padmé Amidala."  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you, milady," Jyana said with a genuine smile offering her hand as a gesture of welcome and equality.  
  
"Pleasure as well," Padmé smiled and took the hand gently, "You are from Endor correct?"  
  
"Yes the Sanctuary Moon. How could you tell?"  
  
"I read about the Eleutherian race long ago and recognized the leaf marking on your left bicep."  
  
"I wasn't aware that other cultures knew of ours."  
  
"Well on Naboo you are regarded as a Myth."  
  
"As is it on Tatooine," Anakin spoke up, "Eleutherians are also called the Forest People of Endor?"  
  
Jyana nodded with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"The deep space pilots spoke of them about as much as they did the angels."  
  
Padmé looked over at Anakin with a look that Jyana had only seen between married couples before. She rose her eyebrow. "So you have heard of my race by way of a myth?"  
  
They both nodded.  
  
She sighed and looked off in the distance. "I'm afraid that's all we are now."  
  
"Oh?" Padmé looked at her curiously.  
  
"I'm the last one left alive."  
  
"I'm so sorry..."  
  
Jyana shrugged it off. "It's alright. I never knew my family. Hardly know all I need to know about my people, but I still carry on."  
  
"That's all we can do in times like these."  
  
"Indeed milady."  
  
"Call me Padmé."  
  
"Okay." A mischievous smirk rose on her face. "Padmé, are you married?"  
  
Her eyes widened. "How did you know?"  
  
"I sensed it."  
  
"It's supposed to be a secret."  
  
"Your husband should remember his telepathy blocking technique, but it was written on faces and in actions. It is hard to keep secrets from me." Jyana looked at Anakin and smiled. There is hope. I sense darkness but there is hope. "But your secret is safe with me."  
  
"Thanks," the Jedi apprentice said.  
  
"Senator Organa says you are going to ship out tomorrow with the troops," Padmé stated after a long moment of silence.  
  
Jyana just nodded not really wishing there was still a war at hand. She had been given a ray of hope and was hoping to chill there for a while. But reality had other plans in mind and had to rear its ugly head once again and ruin her serenity.  
  
"We're coming with you," the Senator said with a forceful voice.  
  
"That's fine," Jyana responded, "I have heard much of your victories in battle, Padmé. I look forward to fighting by your side."  
  
The two women smiled at each other, neither one knowing that this wouldn't be the only battle they would fight together. 


	11. Nine Moving Out

Chapter Nine~ Moving Out  
  
  
  
The troops were packing up to ship out. Senator Organa sighed watching the troops pack in. General Kenobi walked up next to him, his hair still wet from the downpour outside. A tropical storm had begun to come into the area and it would prolong their stay on the satellite.  
  
"Senator Peregryne will not be joining us."  
  
"I know. He has a family."  
  
"And his home is safe. The rest of the war just isn't in his neck of the woods."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"Yeah I know. Not very sensitive to the rest of the Republic. I tried to talk some sense into him."  
  
"He is a stubborn man. It does little good to try to convince him of anything that doesn't benefit him."  
  
"You still don't like politicians, do you Obi-Wan. You still cast us all with the same color."  
  
"Only you and Senator Amidala have even shown me otherwise."  
  
Bail Organa smiled at the Jedi but the smile ceased when he saw his face. Obi-Wan wore a stoic expression on his face. His eyes squinted ahead. "Something wrong Master Kenobi?"  
  
"A disturbance in the Force."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I don't know. Where are we headed next?"  
  
"Corellia. We also have to make sure they never build this weapon they boast of."  
  
"What?"  
  
"They have plans for a weapon called Centerpoint."  
  
"They'll never make that or anything like that."  
  
"But they still can threaten to do so."  
  
"Distasteful at times like these," Obi-Wan sighed and shook his head in sadness. The idea of something like Centerpoint was preposterous to his mind. He hoped he'd never live to see the day when a weapon strong enough to blow up a planet or even a star or something like that existed. And yet the fear of such a weapon was strong. It was a good thing that the plans for Centerpoint were such a secret that only he and Organa and those that have them knew about it.  
  
But Jyana could read minds.  
  
There was no harm in her knowing secrets. He knew that much.  
  
She had joined the group and spoke with each of the troops. Her ewok counterpart came with her and she was also followed by Anakin and Padmé. Obi-Wan sighed as they came in. He suspected there was more than what meets the eye in the pairing, but he didn't know if he wanted to know the truth. Jyana still wore the brown and green outfit but Obi-Wan couldn't help but notice that the top of her corset was not tied so that more of her skin was shown. He tried to keep his eyes up on her face but that was increasingly difficult.  
  
"Something wrong Master Kenobi?" Jyana addressed him quick to notice his inner turmoil.  
  
"Um, your shirt isn't tied."  
  
Jyana looked down and quickly remedied that situation. "Sorry," she muttered with a slight blush to her face.  
  
"No I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For noticing."  
  
"Well, you are a man."  
  
"But I'm a Jedi."  
  
"Your point?"  
  
He looked to the side. "It is not honorable for me to have noticed."  
  
"But it was good you did and told me."  
  
"I shouldn't..."  
  
"Regret nothing Obi-Wan. Nothing." Her eyes looked up at him with a flicker of fire.  
  
He just stared down at her and nodded.  
  
Padmé went up to Bail Organa and questioned him. "Where is Senator Peregryne?"  
  
"He is staying here with his wife."  
  
"He's not joining in the war?"  
  
"No he is not."  
  
"That is preposterous. He must..."  
  
"His mind will not be changed," Obi-Wan stated.  
  
Jyana looked around and noticed the Senator was nowhere to be found to defend himself.  
  
"But he must fight."  
  
"He has done his part."  
  
"For his own benefit and not for the Republic."  
  
"He has a family."  
  
"His family is who he must fight for."  
  
"Yourself and Senator Organa excepted, most politicians put their personal lives and ambitions over the needs of others. And it is pointless to ask them to be other than who they are."  
  
"Obi-Wan..." Anakin started.  
  
The Jedi Master looked over at his padawan.  
  
"Not another lecture."  
  
Jyana was about to say something about that was nowhere near to a lecture but held her tongue.  
  
Obi-Wan stated firmly to his apprenctice, "YOu will not interupt me and will respect your place."  
  
"I did not interupt."  
  
"Your talking back is..."  
  
"I did not interupt..."  
  
"You just did."  
  
"But Master..."  
  
"You will respect your place my young Padawan Learner."  
  
Padmé and Bail exchanged looks.  
  
"So quick to judge are you?"  
  
The two Jedi looked over and noticed a now very vocal Jyana.  
  
"You don't even let the boy defend himself."  
  
"But..."  
  
"I'm not finished with you Obi-Wan. You don't even listen to him. He is a fellow human being and demands your respect."  
  
Anakin wore a smug expression.  
  
"And you," Jyana looked voer at the younger man, "Stop acting like a spoiled brat who is ungrateful for the sacrifices made for him."  
  
With that Jyana stalked up the silver ship Anakin and Padmé had come in, and the two, Obi-Wan, Wokki and Bail Organa would head off to Corellia in.  
  
The two Jedi male-types just blinked but Anakin fumed as well. The ewok looked up at Young Skywalker and suddenly squealed. Now that he had gotten their full attention he just blurted, "Well, I'm cute!"  
  
And the tension was releaved in a fit of laughter.  
  
Jyana received a holo message on board the ship.  
  
"I have done the research you asked for," the black man on screen said to her, "Met Lyka is not human at all. The mechanics of his genetic structure show he is covered by another creature, some kind of mask, that alters his physical appearance. I haven't seen anything like that before."  
  
The woman looked over the data pad which had received his studies on the matter and her eyes squinted. "Curious," she said aloud.  
  
"What is curious?"  
  
"I could not sense him in the Force either."  
  
"How is that possible?"  
  
"I don't know. I don't know of the research about extragalatic travel..."  
  
"It is impossible."  
  
"Anything is possible. I have met people, humans in fact, from another galaxy before."  
  
"How?"  
  
"They got stuck in a worm hole and said something about warp 7. Whatever that is I have no clue. I just pointed them back home."  
  
"But..."  
  
"I know Lando. I know no one would believe me. That is not my concern. All things from this galaxy I can scan through the Force but Met I could not."  
  
The man only nodded.  
  
"Thank you for your help Lieutenant Calrissian. Shall we see you when we reach Corellia?"  
  
"No. Unfortunately I have a mission to Bespin and the Cloud City."  
  
"Well may the Force be with you. Don't hurt the Falcon."  
  
"She's still working fine. You would be proud."  
  
"I'm always proud of my creations, the Millenium Falcon being my best. One scratch..."  
  
"I know I know..."  
  
"Good day."  
  
And they ended their transmission.  
  
Obi-Wan was behind her as she turned around. She glared at him. "What do you want?"  
  
"Harenae worries me."  
  
"Life in general worries me."  
  
"But don't you find her dangerous?"  
  
"Not anymore than I find you dangerous."  
  
"What?"  
  
She just looked at him and then stared forward. She switched on the HoloNet and looked at the current Senate meeting in progress. "What are they babbling about?" she mused to herself.  
  
Obi-Wan pulled up a seat next to her. "Another pointless issue."  
  
"Unbelievable. We have a bloody war going on and they are arguing about where to mine for resources in the unknown regions."  
  
Obi-Wan looked at her.  
  
"They ignore the Republic and the war, blame us for their problems and they still think that they can carry on like they always have?"  
  
"Blame us?"  
  
"Listen to them for once Obi-Wan. Listen to the words they say for what they mean at face value."  
  
He looked up at the holo and rose his eyebrows in question. He knew she sensed something more was at hand. "What is it Jyana?"  
  
She looked away from him. "Nothing."  
  
"It's not nothing..."  
  
She shrugged him off and noticed the fleet was boarding up. It was time for them to head off towards the next battle. It was always another battle Jyana glared in the direction of Chancellor Palpatine. When would it be over? Would it ever be over. When would the bloodbath end? 


	12. Ten Corellian Rainbow

Chapter Ten~ Corellian Rainbow  
  
  
  
The Corellian plains were scorched in the morning light as the war raged on. The group of soldiers under control of General Kenobi had been fighting here for days, weeks, and what felt like months and years without end. Although it had not been months, yet, the end never seemed near to the lone Eleutherian. Jyana, now suddenly a commander found herself with more responsibility than she wanted. She had always despised war.  
  
The star of the system did not shine upon the battle plains. There was a single ray of light piercing through the grey, but that was too far away. It felt like dusk but it was but the early afternoon. Soon enough the sky erupted with a downpour like one in many cultures' flood stories.  
  
Jyana looked up into the sky, her face now covered with water. Her chocolate tresses were stuck to her neck and face and she needed to move her dripping hand to clear her line of vision.  
  
She squinted her eyes to look for the General but could not see him. The Clone Troopers marched about the battlefield, feeling as if they had served the enemy a lasting defeat. Jyana knew better. This battlefield may be finished, but there were more to fight. Far too many more.  
  
Jyana had found no evidence for Centerpoint and nothing loomed before her but a grey, cold and wet future. She felt as if there was no hope left and yet she reminded herself of a great man's immortal words. There is always hope.  
  
Completely randomly Jyana saw a duck followed by its wet chicks waddle across the field.  
  
Wet chicks? She scratched her head.  
  
"Jyana."  
  
She turned around to face Obi-Wan Kenobi. His sleeves of his tunic had been ripped off and there was a huge slice in the fabric that exposed his glistening chest. He had a cut on his right bicep that bore an odd shape. His blue-green eyes were tired and weary. "You look terrible," she said with a smirk.  
  
"But I thought you liked me this way."  
  
"Oh, a ravished Obi-Wan Kenobi? Sure. Add one to my clone order."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
He shook his head and went to business. "The troops appear to be done here. We are awaiting relocation orders."  
  
"Okay. I'll alert my squadron."  
  
"They've already been alerted."  
  
"What???"  
  
"I've already alerted them."  
  
"You went over my helmet???"  
  
"Helmet? What? I'm the General here."  
  
"Oh, oops... Sudden flash back to another time and another place of great evil."  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"Hollywood... er... it's too much to explain."  
  
"Uh okay."  
  
"There is more? Continue."  
  
"You have been called to Coruscant, Jyana."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Masters Yoda and Windu requested a private meeting with you. I will be coming to Coruscant as well in time, but you were summoned to precede me."  
  
"Such large vocabulary for such a youngin."  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"Trust me. You don't want to know how old I am."  
  
"I was taught it was unwise to ask a lady her age."  
  
"Even though I surely ain't no lady, you were taught well grasshopper."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"War does odd things to my mind. So I'm to travel alone?"  
  
"That's what they told me to tell you."  
  
Jyana then nodded. She knew that somehow in the battle she had become scantly clad. Her back was exposed and her black jumpsuit had turned two piece, her top more like a halter top with uneven sleeves. The silver cuffs were still well in place.  
  
But the way Obi-Wan now looked at her made her extremely uncomfortable.  
  
And yet she took another look at him and decided that he did not look terrible after all. It was just so fun to say that he did and wait for interesting reactions. His reactions made her days go by faster. Why she cared so much though was beyond her.  
  
They had to part, so she simply turned on her heel and left him with many thoughts floating through his head. Their exchange had been quite odd, and sometimes Jyana wondered...  
  
She turned and looked back. Obi-Wan wore a smug look on his face and completely stripped off his shirt. With that Jyana made her way to find herself a ship to yoink to Coruscant. Why she was so tormented at the moment she didn't know.  
  
She noticed on her way out that Padmé had her white jumpsuit cut up in the same manner Jyana had hers.  
  
And then there was Anakin. Shirt completely lost somewhere in battle, his skin shimmered in the now parting clouds.  
  
As Jyana took to her newly yoinked ship, a rainbow formed across the sky.  
  
There was always hope. There evident glistening through Corellia's sky was a promise of hope.  
  
But wherein did this hope lie? 


End file.
